African elephant vs Black and rufous elephant shrew/sengi

Loxodonta africana compared with Rhynchocyon petersi

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Black and rufous elephant shrew/sengi
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Macroscelidea (Macroscelidea)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Macroscelididae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Rhynchocyon
Species	Loxodonta africana	Rhynchocyon petersi

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Black and rufous elephant shrew/sengi share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Black and rufous elephant shrew/sengi

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Black and rufous elephant shrew/sengi
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	65 years	—
Average Length	6.0 m	—
Average Weight	6.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Black and rufous elephant shrew/sengi

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 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.

Black and rufous elephant shrew/sengi

The Black and rufous elephant shrew/sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi) is a species in the genus Rhynchocyon. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. 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 biogeo

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇰🇪 Kenya