Asiatic elephant vs common hydra

Elephas maximus compared with Hydra vulgaris

Key Differences

• Asiatic elephant is Endangered while common hydra is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	common hydra
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Cnidaria (Cnidarians)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Hydrozoa (Hydrozoa)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Anthoathecata (Anthoathecata)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Hydridae
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Hydra
Species	Elephas maximus	Hydra vulgaris

Evolutionary Relationship

Asiatic elephant and common hydra share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

common hydra

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	common hydra
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	60 years	—
Average Length	5.5 m	—
Average Weight	4.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Asiatic elephant

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 9 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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.

common hydra

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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.

common hydra

<em>Hydra vulgaris</em>, commonly known as the common hydra, is a small freshwater cnidarian in the family Hydridae. Its conservation status has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN. The species is recorded from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, with its native range understood to encompass Europe broadly. It typically inhabits slow-moving or still freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, and streams, where it attaches to aquatic vegetation or submerged substrates. The common hydra is notable for its remarkable regenerative capabilities and has been the subject of substantial biological research. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.