African elephant vs African forest elephant

Loxodonta africana compared with Loxodonta cyclotis

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while African forest elephant is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	African forest elephant
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order same	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Proboscidea (Elephants)
Family same	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Elephantidae (Elephants)
Genus same	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Loxodonta (African Elephants)
Species	Loxodonta africana	Loxodonta cyclotis

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and African forest elephant share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Loxodonta. (African Elephants)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

African forest elephant

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	African forest elephant
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.

African forest elephant

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

African elephant

O elefante africano, o maior animal terrestre da Terra, pode atingir 7.000 kg e habita savanas, florestas e zonas húmidas da África subsaariana. Com estruturas sociais complexas lideradas por matriarcas, comunica através de infrassons, rugidos e contacto físico. Como engenheiro do ecossistema, modela o habitat arrancando árvores, escavando poços de água e dispersando sementes. Está classificado como Vulnerável (VU), com populações em declínio devido à caça furtiva de marfim e à perda de habitat.

African forest elephant

The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is a species in the genus Loxodonta. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.