African elephant vs Leopard-spotted swellshark

Loxodonta africana compared with Cephaloscyllium fasciatum

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Leopard-spotted swellshark is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Leopard-spotted swellshark
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Scyliorhinidae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Cephaloscyllium
Species	Loxodonta africana	Cephaloscyllium fasciatum

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Leopard-spotted swellshark share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (cordados)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Leopard-spotted swellshark

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Leopard-spotted swellshark
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.

Leopard-spotted swellshark

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Taiwan. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.