African elephant vs

Loxodonta africana compared with Tragopogon crocifolius

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant
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)	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Tragopogon
Species	Loxodonta africana	Tragopogon crocifolius

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

VU — Vulnerable

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

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. 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.

Tragopogon crocifolius is a flowering plant in the daisy family (Asteraceae) producing saffron-coloured to purple flower heads atop slender stems with grass-like leaves in open, dry habitats. It is found in Mediterranean regions, rocky grasslands, and disturbed ground across southern Europe and western Asia. Classified as Vulnerable, this species faces threats from habitat loss, overgrazing, and land conversion in its Mediterranean range.