African elephant vs common fanflower

Loxodonta africana compared with Scaevola aemula

Key Differences

African elephant is Vulnerable while common fanflower is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	common fanflower
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Goodeniaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Scaevola
Species	Loxodonta africana	Scaevola aemula

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

common fanflower

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	common fanflower
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.

common fanflower

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Brazil, Sweden, and Taiwan.

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.

common fanflower

The common fanflower (<em>Scaevola aemula</em>) is a flowering plant belonging to the genus Scaevola within the family Goodeniaceae. It is characterised by its fan-shaped flowers, which are distinctive in having all five petals arranged on one side of the bloom, giving the appearance of a half-flower. This morphology is typical of the Scaevola genus and results from a zygomorphic floral structure. The species is typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats ranging from tropical forests to temperate regions, and is distributed across Belgium, Brazil, Sweden, and Taiwan. It is native to Australia, where it often grows in coastal areas, sandy soils, and open scrublands. <em>Scaevola aemula</em> has not been evaluated under IUCN criteria. Biological traits of this species, including specific data on lifespan, body dimensions, and dietary requirements, remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The species is widely cultivated as an ornamental garden plant owing to its attractive and unusual flowers and tolerance of dry, sandy conditions.