Asiatic elephant vs cluster fig

Elephas maximus compared with Ficus racemosa

Key Differences

Asiatic elephant is Endangered while cluster fig is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	cluster fig
Kingdom	Animalia (동물)	Plantae (식물)
Phylum	Chordata (척삭동물)	Magnoliophyta (피자식물문)
Class	Mammalia (포유류)	Magnoliopsida (목련강)
Order	Proboscidea (장비목)	Rosales (장미목)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Moraceae
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Ficus
Species	Elephas maximus	Ficus racemosa

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

cluster fig

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	cluster fig
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	60 years	—
Average Length	5.5 m	—
Average Weight	4.0 t	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Asiatic elephant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

cluster fig

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil and Taiwan.

Asiatic elephant

아시아코끼리(Elephas maximus)는 인도에서 인도네시아에 이르는 남아시아 및 동남아시아의 삼림과 초원에 서식하며, 더 작은 귀와 둥근 등, 코끝의 돌기 1개가 아프리카코끼리와 구별되는 특징입니다. 수천 년간 종교 의식과 노동에 활용되어 아시아 문화와 깊이 얽혀 있으나, 야생 개체 수가 5만 마리 미만으로 위기(EN) 종에 해당합니다.

cluster fig

Ficus racemosa, commonly called the cluster fig or red river fig, is a large deciduous to semi-evergreen tree in the family Moraceae with a native range spanning tropical Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and extending to northern Australia. Despite records suggesting Brazil and Taiwan, the species is most reliably native to South and Southeast Asia. The cluster fig is famous for its remarkable reproductive strategy: fruits grow directly from the trunk and major branches in dense clusters, a habit known as cauliflory. These figs are critical food resources for a wide array of frugivores including bats, birds, monkeys, and civets, making F. racemosa a keystone species in riparian and moist deciduous forests. Trees can reach 15–30 meters in height and develop buttressed bases when growing along riverbanks and in seasonally flooded areas. Like all figs, Ficus racemosa shares an obligate mutualism with its specific fig wasp pollinator, without which reproduction is impossible. Fruits have long been used in traditional medicine across South Asia to treat various ailments. The tree is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution and adaptability, though local populations may face pressure from deforestation and river channelization in its native range.