African bitter yam vs African elephant

Dioscorea dumetorum compared with Loxodonta africana

Key Differences

African bitter yam is Not Evaluated while African elephant is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African bitter yam	African elephant
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Dioscoreales (Dioscoreales)	Proboscidea (Elephants)
Family	Dioscoreaceae	Elephantidae (Elephants)
Genus	Dioscorea	Loxodonta (African Elephants)
Species	Dioscorea dumetorum	Loxodonta africana

Conservation Status

African bitter yam

NE — Not Evaluated

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African bitter yam	African elephant
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	65 years
Average Length	—	6.0 m
Average Weight	—	6.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

African bitter yam

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Guinea.

African elephant

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 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

African bitter yam

The African bitter yam (Dioscorea dumetorum) is a species in the genus Dioscorea. This species inhabits Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes, found across Guinea.

African elephant

The largest land animal on Earth, African elephants can reach 7,000 kg and inhabit sub-Saharan savannas, forests, and wetlands. Highly intelligent with complex social structures led by matriarchs, they communicate through infrasound, rumbles, and touch. As ecosystem engineers, they shape habitats by uprooting trees, digging waterholes, and dispersing seeds. Vulnerable, with populations declining due to ivory poaching and habitat loss.