Asiatic elephant vs Munk's devil ray

Elephas maximus compared with Mobula munkiana

Key Differences

Asiatic elephant is Endangered while Munk's devil ray is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	Munk's devil ray
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Myliobatidae
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Mobula
Species	Elephas maximus	Mobula munkiana

Evolutionary Relationship

Asiatic elephant and Munk's devil ray share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Munk's devil ray

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	Munk's devil ray
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.

Munk's devil ray

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.