Éléphant de savane vs Brathay fern

Loxodonta africana compared with Dryopteris brathaica

Key Differences

• Éléphant de savane is Vulnerable while Brathay fern is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Éléphant de savane	Brathay fern
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Plantae (plante)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Polypodiopsida (Filicopsida)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Dryopteridaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Dryopteris
Species	Loxodonta africana	Dryopteris brathaica

Conservation Status

Éléphant de savane

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Brathay fern

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Éléphant de savane	Brathay fern
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.

Brathay fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Found in Canada.

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.

Brathay fern

The Brathay fern (Dryopteris brathaica) is a species in the genus Dryopteris. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.