African elephant vs Calla lily

Loxodonta africana compared with Zantedeschia aethiopica

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Calla lily is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Calla lily
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Alismatales (Alismatales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Araceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Zantedeschia
Species	Loxodonta africana	Zantedeschia aethiopica

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Calla lily

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Calla lily
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.

Calla lily

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Burundi, Morocco), Asia (India, Taiwan, Turkey), Europe (14 countries), North America (Costa Rica, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (5 countries).

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.

Calla lily

The Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) is a species in the genus Zantedeschia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms.