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 (Animals)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Lamiales (Lamiales)
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

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.

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.