African elephant vs Cape cheesewood

Loxodonta africana compared with Pittosporum viridiflorum

Key Differences

  • African elephant is Vulnerable while Cape cheesewood is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank African elephant Cape cheesewood
Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Plantae (plantas)
Phylum Chordata (cordados) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class Mammalia (mamíferos) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Proboscidea (Elephants) Apiales (Apiales)
Family Elephantidae (Elephants) Pittosporaceae
Genus Loxodonta (African Elephants) Pittosporum
Species Loxodonta africana Pittosporum viridiflorum

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Cape cheesewood

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute African elephant Cape cheesewood
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.

Cape cheesewood

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Guinea, India, Jamaica, and United States.

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.

Cape cheesewood

The Cape cheesewood (Pittosporum viridiflorum) is a species in the genus Pittosporum. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Nature FYI Family

Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.

Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia