African elephant vs Canary-shouldered Thorn

Loxodonta africana compared with Ennomos alniaria

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Canary-shouldered Thorn is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Canary-shouldered Thorn
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Geometridae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Ennomos
Species	Loxodonta africana	Ennomos alniaria

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Canary-shouldered Thorn share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Canary-shouldered Thorn

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Canary-shouldered Thorn
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.

Canary-shouldered Thorn

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Canary-shouldered Thorn

The Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria) is a species in the genus Ennomos. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.