Asiatic elephant vs Formosan koa

Elephas maximus compared with Acacia confusa

Key Differences

Asiatic elephant is Endangered while Formosan koa is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	Formosan koa
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Fabaceae
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Acacia
Species	Elephas maximus	Acacia confusa

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Formosan koa

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	Formosan koa
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.

Formosan koa

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Indomalayan and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Mauritius, Seychelles), Asia (5 countries), North America (United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Fiji, Micronesia, Palau).

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.