African elephant vs Cheetah

Loxodonta africana compared with Acinonyx jubatus

Key Differences

• African elephant is herbivore while Cheetah is carnivore.
• African elephant is 120.0x heavier than Cheetah.
• African elephant lives longer (65 years vs 12 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Cheetah
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mamalia)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)
Species	Loxodonta africana	Acinonyx jubatus

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Cheetah share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mamalia)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Cheetah
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	65 years	12 years
Average Length	6.0 m	1.5 m
Average Weight	6.0 t	50.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

African elephant

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.

Cheetah

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 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

African elephant

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.

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇰🇪 Kenya