American Ephedra vs Buckelwal

Ephedra trifurca compared with Megaptera novaeangliae

Key Differences

American Ephedra is Least Concern while Buckelwal is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American Ephedra	Buckelwal
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Gnetopsida (Gnetopsida)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Ephedrales (Ephedrales)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Ephedraceae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Ephedra	Megaptera (Humpback Whales)
Species	Ephedra trifurca	Megaptera novaeangliae

Conservation Status

American Ephedra

LC — Least Concern

Buckelwal

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~80.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American Ephedra	Buckelwal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	15.0 m
Average Weight	—	30.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

American Ephedra

Buckelwal

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

American Ephedra

The American Ephedra (Ephedra trifurca) is a species in the genus Ephedra. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Buckelwal

Among the most acrobatic of the great whales, humpback whales are renowned for their complex, haunting songs sung by males during breeding season — some lasting hours and evolving over time. Reaching 16 meters and 30 tonnes, they undertake the longest migrations of any mammal. Found in all oceans, humpbacks feed on krill and small fish using cooperative bubble-net feeding. Populations have largely recovered from historic whaling.