African elephant vs

Loxodonta africana compared with Haloterrigena salifodinae

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)	Natrialbaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Haloterrigena
Species	Loxodonta africana	Haloterrigena salifodinae

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.

Haloterrigena salifodinae is an extremely halophilic archaeon in the family Halobacteriaceae, originally isolated from a salt mine. It requires high concentrations of sodium chloride for growth and cannot survive in lower-salinity environments. Its genus name reflects a terrestrial origin, distinguishing it from marine halophilic archaea.