Éléphant de savane vs barbe grise

Loxodonta africana compared with Tillandsia usneoides

Key Differences

• Éléphant de savane is Vulnerable while barbe grise is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Éléphant de savane	barbe grise
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Plantae (plante)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Bromeliaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Tillandsia
Species	Loxodonta africana	Tillandsia usneoides

Conservation Status

Éléphant de savane

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

barbe grise

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Éléphant de savane	barbe grise
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.

barbe grise

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles, South Africa), Asia (Taiwan), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Tonga), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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.