Elefante de Sabana vs common earthworm

Loxodonta africana compared with Lumbricus terrestris

Key Differences

• Elefante de Sabana is Vulnerable while common earthworm is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Elefante de Sabana	common earthworm
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Annelida (Segmented Worms)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Clitellata (Clitellata)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Crassiclitellata (Crassiclitellata)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Lumbricidae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Lumbricus
Species	Loxodonta africana	Lumbricus terrestris

Evolutionary Relationship

Elefante de Sabana and common earthworm share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Elefante de Sabana

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

common earthworm

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Elefante de Sabana	common earthworm
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.

common earthworm

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States).

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.

common earthworm

<em>Lumbricus terrestris</em>, the common earthworm, is one of the most ecologically significant invertebrates in temperate soils and is native to Europe, with introduced populations established across North America and other regions globally. The species is not evaluated by the IUCN Red List. <em>Lumbricus terrestris</em> belongs to the family Lumbricidae and is widely distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries in its introduced range. It typically inhabits moist, organic-rich soils in gardens, agricultural fields, woodlands, and grasslands, burrowing deep into the substrate and surfacing at night or after rainfall to feed on decomposing leaf litter and soil organic matter. As a detritivore and ecosystem engineer, the common earthworm dramatically improves soil structure, aeration, drainage, and fertility through its burrowing activity and the production of nutrient-rich castings. It is a critical food source for a wide range of predators including birds, mammals, amphibians, and invertebrates. Charles Darwin extensively studied <em>Lumbricus terrestris</em> and recognized its profound role in soil formation and ecosystem functioning in his 1881 publication on the subject. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.