Elefante de Sabana vs Common Ground-Pine

Loxodonta africana compared with Dendrolycopodium obscurum

Key Differences

• Elefante de Sabana is Vulnerable while Common Ground-Pine is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Elefante de Sabana	Common Ground-Pine
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (planta)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Lycopodiopsida (Lycopsida)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Lycopodiales (Lycopodiales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Lycopodiaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Dendrolycopodium
Species	Loxodonta africana	Dendrolycopodium obscurum

Conservation Status

Elefante de Sabana

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Common Ground-Pine

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Elefante de Sabana	Common Ground-Pine
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 Ground-Pine

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada and 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 Ground-Pine

The common ground pine, <em>Dendrolycopodium obscurum</em>, is a vascular plant belonging to the family Lycopodiaceae, a lineage of ancient clubmosses. This species is typically found across North America, with its known range encompassing Canada and the United States. As a lycophyte, <em>Dendrolycopodium obscurum</em> represents a deeply divergent lineage among land plants, distinct from mosses and ferns. The species typically grows in moist forested habitats, particularly in coniferous and mixed woodlands where humidity and leaf litter provide suitable conditions for its growth. Its upright, tree-like sporophylls give it the common name ground pine. No dietary information has been provided for this species. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.