Éléphant de savane vs pourpier

Loxodonta africana compared with Portulaca oleracea

Key Differences

• Éléphant de savane is Vulnerable while pourpier is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Éléphant de savane	pourpier
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Plantae (plante)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Portulacaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Portulaca
Species	Loxodonta africana	Portulaca oleracea

Conservation Status

Éléphant de savane

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

pourpier

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Éléphant de savane	pourpier
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	65 years	—
Average Length	6.0 m	—
Average Weight	6.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Éléphant de savane

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.

pourpier

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including deserts and xeric shrublands, flooded grasslands and savannas, and mangrove forests and coastal wetlands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Indomalayan and Neotropic realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (18 countries), Asia (17 countries), Europe (26 countries), North America (17 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (12 countries), and South America (8 countries).

Éléphant de savane

The largest land animal on Earth, African elephants can reach 7,000 kg and inhabit sub-Saharan savannas, forests, and wetlands. Highly intelligent with complex social structures led by matriarchs, they communicate through infrasound, rumbles, and touch. As ecosystem engineers, they shape habitats by uprooting trees, digging waterholes, and dispersing seeds. Vulnerable, with populations declining due to ivory poaching and habitat loss.

pourpier

The Akulikuli-Kula (Portulaca oleracea) is a species in the genus Portulaca. Found across multiple habitat types including deserts and xeric shrublands, flooded grasslands and savannas, and mangrove forests and coastal wetlands, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Indomalayan and Neotropic realm.