African forest elephant vs red kangaroo

Loxodonta cyclotis compared with Macropus rufus

Key Differences

• African forest elephant is Critically Endangered while red kangaroo is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African forest elephant	red kangaroo
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Macropodidae (Kangaroos)
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Macropus (Kangaroos)
Species	Loxodonta cyclotis	Macropus rufus

Evolutionary Relationship

African forest elephant and red kangaroo share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

African forest elephant

CR — Critically Endangered

red kangaroo

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~11.5M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African forest elephant	red kangaroo
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	16 years
Average Length	—	1.6 m
Average Weight	—	85.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

African forest elephant

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

red kangaroo

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found in Australia.

African forest elephant

The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is a species in the genus Loxodonta. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

red kangaroo

The largest kangaroo and largest marsupial on Earth, red kangaroos can stand 2 meters tall and weigh 90 kg, inhabiting the arid and semi-arid regions of inland Australia. Highly adapted to harsh desert conditions, they can survive without drinking water for long periods by extracting moisture from vegetation. Powerful hind legs enable 9-meter leaps and speeds up to 70 km/h. Males engage in ritualistic boxing contests to compete for females.