African elephant vs floating pennywort

Loxodonta africana compared with Hydrocotyle ranunculoides

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while floating pennywort is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	floating pennywort
Kingdom	Animalia (животные)	Plantae (растения)
Phylum	Chordata (хордовые)	Magnoliophyta (магнолиофиты)
Class	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Proboscidea (хоботные)	Apiales (зонтикоцветные)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Araliaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Hydrocotyle
Species	Loxodonta africana	Hydrocotyle ranunculoides

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

floating pennywort

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	floating pennywort
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.

floating pennywort

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Angola, Zambia), Asia (5 countries), Europe (12 countries), North America (Canada, Cuba, Guatemala), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (4 countries).

African elephant

The largest land animal on Earth, African elephants can reach 7,000 kg and inhabit sub-Saharan savannas, forests, and wetlands. Highly intelligent with complex social structures led by matriarchs, they communicate through infrasound, rumbles, and touch. As ecosystem engineers, they shape habitats by uprooting trees, digging waterholes, and dispersing seeds. Vulnerable, with populations declining due to ivory poaching and habitat loss.