African elephant vs Blistered Jelly Lichen

Loxodonta africana compared with Collema nigrescens

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Blistered Jelly Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Peltigerales (Peltigerales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Collemataceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Collema
Species	Loxodonta africana	Collema nigrescens

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Blistered Jelly Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Blistered Jelly Lichen
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.

Blistered Jelly Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. 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.

Blistered Jelly Lichen

The Blistered Jelly Lichen (Collema nigrescens) is a species in the genus Collema. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.