Lions come in several different colors, including tan, brown, yellow, and even red. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) recognizes two sub-species of lions - the African and the Asiatic lions. Though slowly growing, this population is threatened by infrastructure development and needs additional reserves to grow.Lions share their habitat with many different animals. Four Iberian Lynx cubs from the Program Ex-situ Conservation in 2011 Now that you know how many types of lions there are in the world, keep reading to find out more about each. Belonging to the Panthera genus and Felidae family, lions are majestic animals. By saving lion habitat, other species are also protected, including hyena, wildebeest, plains zebra and chital. There are about six subspecies of African lions. The different lion species include African, Asiatic, American, mountain, cave and white lions.These classifications, however, are points of contention among many paleontologists and zoologists because of findings and conclusions that have resulted from the study of the remains and genetic makeup of these mammals.This list includes extinct lion species as well as the various endangered lions. Many lions in European and American zoos, which are managed without subspecies classification, are most likely descendants of Barbary lions. This large cat has so many names because it is found in many different parts of the country and the world. As for this marine animal, there are 7 genera of sea lions made up of several species. [9] There are two surviving species of lions: African and Asian. Yes, there are many fenced reserves that contain introduced lions, and there are many private reserves that contain lions, but all of those are heavily managed and placed there to attract tourists. So when you head off on your African safari, read up about the various species and have a look at the photographs below to make sure you know which ones you will be seeing. I've seen estimates between 2 (Africa and Eurasia) up to 6 or 8 depending on the source. There is no difference between a cougar and a mountain lion. There are also efforts to prevent the hunting or the harming of Sea Lions. I believe there is one species of lion. Hyenas are bold enough to feed alongside lions and to force the lions off a kill. How Many Species Of Lynx Live In The World Today? How many species of lions are there? Early North and South American explorers referred to the cat as leon, or lion , and gato monte, which means cat of the mountain . Both of these lions became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, around 11,000 years ago. This number, however, corresponds to lions belonging to the cat family, but did you know that there are also types of sea lions? The two species attack one another even when there is no food involved for no apparent reason. One species of lion, called the Panthera Leo currently exists in the present day, however there are many subspecies of the big cat.