Bad-smelling Alkanet vs elk

Alkanna maleolens compared with Cervus elaphus

Key Differences

• Bad-smelling Alkanet is Critically Endangered while elk is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bad-smelling Alkanet	elk
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Boraginales (Boraginales)	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family	Boraginaceae	Cervidae (Deer)
Genus	Alkanna	Cervus (True Deer)
Species	Alkanna maleolens	Cervus elaphus

Conservation Status

Bad-smelling Alkanet

CR — Critically Endangered

elk

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bad-smelling Alkanet	elk
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	2.1 m
Average Weight	—	240.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bad-smelling Alkanet

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

elk

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 12 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (Afghanistan, Indonesia), Europe (11 countries), North America (Mexico), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina, Chile, Peru). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Bad-smelling Alkanet

The Bad-smelling Alkanet (Alkanna maleolens) is a species in the genus Alkanna. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

elk

Also known as the red deer, elk are among the largest members of the deer family, with antlered males reaching up to 240 kg. Found across temperate forests and grasslands of Europe, Asia, and North America, where populations were historically separated as distinct subspecies. Males shed and regrow their antlers annually, engaging in dramatic roaring contests during autumn rut. An important game and conservation species across its range.