African elephant vs

Loxodonta africana compared with Collaria arcyrionema

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Protozoa (protozoa)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mycetozoa
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Myxomycetes (Myxomycetes)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Stemonitidales
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Stemonitidaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Collaria
Species	Loxodonta africana	Collaria arcyrionema

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant
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.

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

<em>Collaria arcyrionema</em> is a myxomycete — a plasmodial slime mould — belonging to the class Myxomycetes within the phylum Mycetozoa. Slime moulds of the genus Collaria are not true fungi but are instead classified within the group Amoebozoa, reflecting their distinctive biology that combines amoeba-like feeding behaviour with a complex, multi-stage life cycle. <em>Collaria arcyrionema</em> produces small, stalked sporangia — spore-bearing structures — that are characteristic of the genus, typically forming on decaying organic matter such as dead wood, leaf litter, and damp substrate in forested environments. The species has a reported distribution in Brazil, Norway, and Sweden, with occurrence noted across parts of Europe and South America. Like other myxomycetes, <em>Collaria arcyrionema</em> plays a role in nutrient cycling by consuming bacteria and organic detritus during its plasmodial phase. Detailed biological traits including typical lifespan measures and physical dimensions are poorly documented for this species in available literature.