Elefante de Sabana vs Chlorine Dust Lichen

Loxodonta africana compared with Chrysothrix chlorina

Key Differences

Elefante de Sabana is Vulnerable while Chlorine Dust Lichen is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Elefante de Sabana	Chlorine Dust Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Arthoniomycetes (Arthoniomycetes)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Arthoniales (Arthoniales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Chrysotrichaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Chrysothrix
Species	Loxodonta africana	Chrysothrix chlorina

Conservation Status

Elefante de Sabana

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Chlorine Dust Lichen

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Elefante de Sabana	Chlorine Dust Lichen
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	65 years	—
Average Length	6.0 m	—
Average Weight	6.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Elefante de Sabana

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Chlorine Dust Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Elefante de Sabana

El elefante africano, el animal terrestre más grande de la Tierra, puede alcanzar 7.000 kg y habita sabanas, bosques y humedales del África subsahariana. Con estructuras sociales complejas lideradas por matriarcas, se comunica mediante infrasonidos, rugidos y contacto físico. Como ingeniero del ecosistema, modela su hábitat arrancando árboles, excavando aguadas y dispersando semillas. Está catalogado como Vulnerable, con poblaciones en declive por la caza furtiva de marfil y la pérdida de hábitat.

Chlorine Dust Lichen

The Chlorine Dust Lichen (Chrysothrix chlorina) is a crustose lichen in the family Chrysotrichaceae, historically known from calcareous and siliceous rock surfaces and bark in parts of Europe, including the United Kingdom. It belongs to the genus Chrysothrix, a group of powdery, granular lichens that form bright yellow to greenish-yellow leprose thalli — lacking the organised cortex layers of most lichens — composed largely of granular soredia. Chrysothrix species produce unique secondary metabolites including rhizocarpic acid, which contributes to their intense yellow colouration and may serve as protection against grazing invertebrates. The Chlorine Dust Lichen takes its name from the sharp, bleach-like or chlorine odour emitted when the thallus is moistened — a distinctive diagnostic feature. The IUCN has assessed this species as Extinct in Great Britain, where it was historically recorded from ancient woodland and shaded rock sites but has not been confirmed in recent decades. Its apparent extinction in parts of its former range is attributed primarily to severe air quality degradation during the industrial era, as many crustose lichens are highly sensitive to sulphur dioxide and other atmospheric pollutants. It may persist in small areas of cleaner air, and improved air quality since deindustrialisation offers some hope for natural recolonisation.