African elephant vs Chocolate Rim Lichen

Loxodonta africana compared with Protoparmelia badia

Key Differences

African elephant is Vulnerable while Chocolate Rim Lichen is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Chocolate Rim Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (동물)	Fungi (균계)
Phylum	Chordata (척삭동물)	Ascomycota (자낭균류)
Class	Mammalia (포유류)	Lecanoromycetes (요강버섯강)
Order	Proboscidea (장비목)	Lecanorales (레카노라목)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Parmeliaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Protoparmelia
Species	Loxodonta africana	Protoparmelia badia

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Chocolate Rim Lichen

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Chocolate Rim Lichen
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.

Chocolate Rim Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

African elephant

아프리카코끼리(Loxodonta africana)는 지구상에서 가장 큰 육상 동물로, 최대 7,000 kg에 달하며 사하라 이남 아프리카의 사바나, 삼림, 습지에 서식한다. 뛰어난 지능을 가지며, 모계를 중심으로 한 복잡한 사회 구조를 이루고 초저주파음, 울음소리, 촉각을 통해 의사소통한다. 나무를 쓰러뜨리고 물웅덩이를 파며 씨앗을 산포하는 생태계 엔지니어로, 현재 취약(VU) 종으로 분류되며 상아 밀렵과 서식지 손실로 인해 개체수가 감소하고 있다.

Chocolate Rim Lichen

The Chocolate Rim Lichen (Protoparmelia badia) is a crustose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae, found on exposed siliceous and acid rocks in montane and subalpine environments across Europe, North America, and other temperate and boreal regions. Crustose lichens form a tightly adhering crust directly on rock surfaces and lack the lobed margins of foliose lichens, making them impossible to remove from substrate without destroying the thallus. Protoparmelia badia forms a thin, pale grey to brownish-grey thallus with conspicuous reddish-brown to dark chocolate-brown apothecia (disc-shaped reproductive structures), from which the common name derives. The species is typical of well-lit, clean-air rocky habitats such as mountain summits, upland heathland, and acidic outcrops. Like many lichens, it is a pioneer coloniser of bare rock surfaces and contributes to the initial stages of soil formation. The IUCN classifies P. badia as Near Threatened, reflecting concerns about declining populations linked to air pollution — lichens are renowned biological indicators of air quality, being highly sensitive to sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ammonia — as well as climate change effects on montane habitats and disturbance from rock climbing and other outdoor recreation.