African elephant vs Tunbridge filmy fern

Loxodonta africana compared with Hymenophyllum tunbrigense

Key Differences

African elephant is Vulnerable while Tunbridge filmy fern is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Tunbridge filmy fern
Kingdom	Animalia (hewan)	Plantae (tumbuhan)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (mamalia)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Hymenophyllales (Hymenophyllales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Hymenophyllaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Hymenophyllum
Species	Loxodonta africana	Hymenophyllum tunbrigense

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Tunbridge filmy fern

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Tunbridge filmy fern
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	65 years	—
Average Length	6.0 m	—
Average Weight	6.0 t	—

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.

Tunbridge filmy fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Norway, and Portugal.

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.