Asiatic elephant vs Napoleon's plume

Elephas maximus compared with Bauhinia monandra

Key Differences

Asiatic elephant is Endangered while Napoleon's plume is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	Napoleon's plume
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)	Bauhinia
Species	Elephas maximus	Bauhinia monandra

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Napoleon's plume

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	Napoleon's plume
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.

Napoleon's plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (20 countries), Asia (5 countries), Europe (United Kingdom), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (8 countries), and South America (Colombia).

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.