African elephant vs

Loxodonta africana compared with Halostella salina

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Archaea (Archaea)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Halobacteriota (Halobacteriota)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Halobacteria (Halobacteria)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Halobacteriales (Halobacteriales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	QS-9-68-17
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Halostella
Species	Loxodonta africana	Halostella salina

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.

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.

Halostella salina is an extremely halophilic archaeon forming irregular cocci in hypersaline environments. It inhabits salt lakes, saline springs, and solar evaporation ponds where salt concentrations approach saturation. This aerobic, chemoheterotrophic archaeon requires extremely high salt concentrations for growth and obtains energy from organic compounds in its brine habitat.