African elephant vs Butterfly Jelly Lichen

Loxodonta africana compared with Collema flaccidum

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Butterfly Jelly Lichen is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Butterfly 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 flaccidum

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Butterfly Jelly Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Butterfly 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.

Butterfly Jelly Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.

Butterfly Jelly Lichen

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