Asiatic elephant vs
Elephas maximus compared with Clitocybe subalutacea
Key Differences
- Asiatic elephant is Endangered while is Data Deficient.
Taxonomic Classification
| Rank | Asiatic elephant | |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia (Animals) | Fungi (Fungi) |
| Phylum | Chordata (Chordates) | Basidiomycota (Club Fungi) |
| Class | Mammalia (Mammals) | Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms) |
| Order | Proboscidea (Elephants) | Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms) |
| Family | Elephantidae (Elephants) | Tricholomataceae |
| Genus | Elephas (Asian Elephants) | Clitocybe |
| Species | Elephas maximus | Clitocybe subalutacea |
Conservation Status
Asiatic elephant
EN — EndangeredPopulation: ~50.0K
Trend: Decreasing ↓
Physical Characteristics
| Attribute | Asiatic elephant | |
|---|---|---|
| Diet | Herbivore | — |
| Average Lifespan | 60 years | — |
| Average Length | 5.5 m | — |
| Average Weight | 4.0 t | — |
Habitat & Geographic Range
Asiatic elephant
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 9 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.
Distributed across India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.
Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.
Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Asiatic elephant
Smaller than its African cousin, Asiatic elephants range across South and Southeast Asian forests and grasslands from India to Indonesia. Distinguished by their smaller ears, rounded back, and a single finger-like projection on the trunk tip. Deeply interwoven with Asian cultures, they have been used in religious ceremonies and as working animals for millennia. Endangered, with fewer than 50,000 remaining in the wild.
Clitocybe subalutacea is a pale, leather-colored agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae found across temperate European woodlands and semi-open habitats. The species epithet subalutacea derives from Latin for 'somewhat leather-colored,' referencing the cap's pale tan to buff coloration distinguishing it from more purely white or grey species in the genus. It fruits in autumn among leaf litter in deciduous and mixed forests, occasionally in grassy woodland clearings, acting as a saprotrophic decomposer of accumulated organic matter. The fruiting body structure is characteristic of Clitocybe: a shallowly depressed to funnel-shaped cap, crowded decurrent gills, and a slender cylindrical stipe. Microscopic spore morphology and chemical reactions assist in confirming identity in this taxonomically complex genus. Like most Clitocybe species, C. subalutacea contributes to decomposer communities in temperate forests, where the collective activity of many fungal species drives litter breakdown and nutrient release, underpinning forest productivity and soil health across European woodland ecosystems.
Related Comparisons
Nature FYI Family
Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.
Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia