Asiatic elephant vs

Elephas maximus compared with Sphingobium abikonense

Key Differences

  • Asiatic elephant is Endangered while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Asiatic elephant
Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum Chordata (Chordates) Proteobacteria (Proteobacteria)
Class Mammalia (Mammals) Alphaproteobacteria (Alphaproteobacteria)
Order Proboscidea (Elephants) Sphingomonadales (Sphingomonadales)
Family Elephantidae (Elephants) Sphingomonadaceae
Genus Elephas (Asian Elephants) Sphingobium
Species Elephas maximus Sphingobium abikonense

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

NE — Not Evaluated

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

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.

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

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.

Sphingobium abikonense is a Gram-negative aerobic rod first isolated in Abiko, Japan, capable of degrading xenobiotic compounds. It inhabits contaminated soils and sediments in industrial regions. This chemoheterotrophic bacterium degrades polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds in polluted environments.

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