Balkan Yam vs Leao

Dioscorea balcanica compared with Panthera leo

Key Differences

Balkan Yam is Near Threatened while Leao is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balkan Yam	Leao
Kingdom	Plantae (plantas)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Dioscoreales (Dioscoreales)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Dioscoreaceae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Dioscorea	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Dioscorea balcanica	Panthera leo

Conservation Status

Balkan Yam

NT — Near Threatened

Leao

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~23.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balkan Yam	Leao
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	2.5 m
Average Weight	—	190.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balkan Yam

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Leao

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.

Balkan Yam

The Balkan Yam (Dioscorea balcanica) is a species in the genus Dioscorea. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Leao

O maior felino selvagem da África, o leão pode atingir até 250 kg e é o único felídeo social, vivendo em grupos nas savanas e pastagens da África Subsaariana. Os machos se distinguem por suas icônicas juba. Como predadores de topo, regulam as populações de herbívoros e mantêm o equilíbrio do ecossistema. Classificado como Vulnerável devido à perda de habitat e ao conflito entre humanos e vida selvagem.