Éléphant de savane vs root-spine palm

Loxodonta africana compared with Cryosophila warscewiczii

Key Differences

• Éléphant de savane is Vulnerable while root-spine palm is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Éléphant de savane	root-spine palm
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Plantae (plante)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Arecales (Arecales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Arecaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Cryosophila
Species	Loxodonta africana	Cryosophila warscewiczii

Conservation Status

Éléphant de savane

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

root-spine palm

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Éléphant de savane	root-spine palm
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.

root-spine palm

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Brazil.

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.