African elephant vs Hairy-nosed otter

Loxodonta africana compared with Lutra sumatrana

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Hairy-nosed otter is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Hairy-nosed otter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Lutra (Otters)
Species	Loxodonta africana	Lutra sumatrana

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Hairy-nosed otter share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mamíferos)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Hairy-nosed otter

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Hairy-nosed otter
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.

Hairy-nosed otter

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.