African elephant vs Guanche Woodfern

Loxodonta africana compared with Dryopteris guanchica

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Guanche Woodfern is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Guanche Woodfern
Kingdom	Animalia (животные)	Plantae (растения)
Phylum	Chordata (хордовые)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Polypodiopsida (папоротниковые)
Order	Proboscidea (хоботные)	Polypodiales (многоножковые)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Dryopteridaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Dryopteris
Species	Loxodonta africana	Dryopteris guanchica

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Guanche Woodfern

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Guanche Woodfern
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.

Guanche Woodfern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Found in Portugal.

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.