Éléphant de savane vs héron cendré

Loxodonta africana compared with Ardea cinerea

Key Differences

• Éléphant de savane is Vulnerable while héron cendré is Least Concern.
• Éléphant de savane is herbivore while héron cendré is carnivore.
• Éléphant de savane is 4000.0x heavier than héron cendré.
• Éléphant de savane lives longer (65 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Éléphant de savane	héron cendré
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Aves (oiseau)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Pelecaniformes (Pelecaniformes)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Ardeidae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Ardea
Species	Loxodonta africana	Ardea cinerea

Evolutionary Relationship

Éléphant de savane and héron cendré share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Éléphant de savane

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

héron cendré

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Éléphant de savane	héron cendré
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	65 years	15 years
Average Length	6.0 m	95 cm
Average Weight	6.0 t	1.5 kg

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.

héron cendré

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (6 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.

héron cendré

A large, elegant wading bird reaching up to 1 meter in height, gray herons inhabit wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Patient, solitary hunters, they stand motionless for long periods before striking fish, frogs, and small mammals with lightning-fast dagger bill strikes. They nest colonially in tall trees in rookeries called heronries, sometimes shared with other colonial waterbirds. Widely distributed and of Least Concern globally.