Éléphant de savane vs Santal rouge

Loxodonta africana compared with Pterocarpus indicus

Key Differences

• Éléphant de savane is Vulnerable while Santal rouge is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Éléphant de savane	Santal rouge
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Plantae (plante)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Fabaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Pterocarpus
Species	Loxodonta africana	Pterocarpus indicus

Conservation Status

Éléphant de savane

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Santal rouge

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Éléphant de savane	Santal rouge
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.

Santal rouge

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests spanning the Afrotropic and Indomalayan and Oceanian realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles), Asia (4 countries), North America (Trinidad and Tobago), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Micronesia, Palau). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Santal rouge

The Amboyna Wood (Pterocarpus indicus) is a species in the genus Pterocarpus. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests spanning the Afrotropic and Indomalayan and Oceanian realms.