African Openbill vs elk

Anastomus lamelligerus compared with Cervus elaphus

Key Differences

• African Openbill is Least Concern while elk is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African Openbill	elk
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Ciconiiformes (Ciconiiformes)	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family	Ciconiidae	Cervidae (Deer)
Genus	Anastomus	Cervus (True Deer)
Species	Anastomus lamelligerus	Cervus elaphus

Evolutionary Relationship

African Openbill and elk share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

African Openbill

LC — Least Concern

elk

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African Openbill	elk
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	2.1 m
Average Weight	—	240.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

African Openbill

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Germany, and Norway.

elk

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 12 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (Afghanistan, Indonesia), Europe (11 countries), North America (Mexico), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina, Chile, Peru). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

African Openbill

The African Openbill (Anastomus lamelligerus) is a species in the genus Anastomus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

elk

Also known as the red deer, elk are among the largest members of the deer family, with antlered males reaching up to 240 kg. Found across temperate forests and grasslands of Europe, Asia, and North America, where populations were historically separated as distinct subspecies. Males shed and regrow their antlers annually, engaging in dramatic roaring contests during autumn rut. An important game and conservation species across its range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway