African elephant vs Commen Water-Starwort

Loxodonta africana compared with Callitriche stagnalis

Key Differences

African elephant is Vulnerable while Commen Water-Starwort is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Commen Water-Starwort
Kingdom	Animalia (動物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索動物)	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳類)	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)
Order	Proboscidea (ゾウ目)	Lamiales (シソ目)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Plantaginaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Callitriche
Species	Loxodonta africana	Callitriche stagnalis

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Commen Water-Starwort

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Commen Water-Starwort
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.

Commen Water-Starwort

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

African elephant

地球上最大の陸上動物であるアフリカゾウは体重7,000 kgに達し、サハラ以南のサバンナ、森林、湿地に生息する。成熟した雌が群れを率いる高度に知的な社会構造を持ち、超低周波音やうなり声、接触によって意思疎通する。木を引き倒したり水飲み場を掘ったり種子を散布したりすることで生態系を形成するエンジニア種だが、象牙の密猟や生息地の喪失により個体数は減少しており、危急（VU）とされている。

Commen Water-Starwort

<em>Callitriche stagnalis</em>, commonly known as Common Water-Starwort, is an aquatic or semi-aquatic plant in the family Plantaginaceae. This species holds a Least Concern conservation status and is broadly distributed across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania, reflecting its wide ecological tolerance. It typically grows in diverse terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including ponds, streams, ditches, and wet meadows, often forming dense mats on the water surface or in shallow, slow-moving water. The leaves of Common Water-Starwort are typically small and arranged in rosettes at the water surface, allowing efficient access to light, while submerged leaves are often narrower and linear. This plant thrives in nutrient-rich, still or slowly flowing freshwater environments and can colonize temporarily flooded habitats. It provides important ecological services as habitat and food for aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.