Éléphant de savane vs Scented Gymnadenia

Loxodonta africana compared with Gymnadenia odoratissima

Key Differences

Éléphant de savane is Vulnerable while Scented Gymnadenia is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Éléphant de savane	Scented Gymnadenia
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Plantae (plante)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Asparagales (Asparagales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Orchidaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Gymnadenia
Species	Loxodonta africana	Gymnadenia odoratissima

Conservation Status

Éléphant de savane

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Scented Gymnadenia

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Éléphant de savane	Scented Gymnadenia
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.

Scented Gymnadenia

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.