African elephant vs
Loxodonta africana compared with Aphanothece saxicola
Key Differences
- African elephant is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.
Taxonomic Classification
| Rank | African elephant | |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia (Animals) | Bacteria (Bacteria) |
| Phylum | Chordata (Chordates) | Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria) |
| Class | Mammalia (Mammals) | Cyanobacteriia |
| Order | Proboscidea (Elephants) | Cyanobacteriales |
| Family | Elephantidae (Elephants) | Microcystaceae |
| Genus | Loxodonta (African Elephants) | Aphanothece |
| Species | Loxodonta africana | Aphanothece saxicola |
Conservation Status
African elephant
VU — VulnerablePopulation: ~415.0K
Trend: Decreasing ↓
Physical Characteristics
| Attribute | African elephant | |
|---|---|---|
| Diet | Herbivore | — |
| Average Lifespan | 65 years | — |
| Average Length | 6.0 m | — |
| Average Weight | 6.0 t | — |
Habitat & Geographic Range
African elephant
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.
Found in Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.
Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.
Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.
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.
Aphanothece saxicola is a unicellular cyanobacterium in the order Chroococcales, forming colonial aggregates embedded in thick gelatinous sheaths on rocky substrates in freshwater and terrestrial environments. Its colonies appear as thin, greenish to brownish crusts on wet rocks, stream banks, and moist cliff faces. It contributes to biofilm formation and can fix atmospheric nitrogen under certain conditions.
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