Cardinal rouge vs Lion d'Afrique

Cardinalis cardinalis compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

• Cardinal rouge is Least Concern while Lion d'Afrique is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cardinal rouge	Lion d'Afrique
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (oiseau)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Passeriformes (passereaux)	Carnivora (carnivores)
Family	Cardinalidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Cardinalis	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Cardinalis cardinalis	Panthera leo

Evolutionary Relationship

Cardinal rouge and Lion d'Afrique share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Cardinal rouge

LC — Least Concern

Lion d'Afrique

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cardinal rouge	Lion d'Afrique
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cardinal rouge

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (United Arab Emirates), Europe (6 countries), and North America (United States).

Lion d'Afrique

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cardinal rouge

Common Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Lion d'Afrique

The largest wild cat in Africa, lions reach up to 250 kg and are the only social felids, living in prides across sub-Saharan savannas and grasslands. Males are distinguished by their iconic manes. As apex predators, they regulate herbivore populations and maintain ecosystem balance. Listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.