African elephant vs

Loxodonta africana compared with Pycnora sorophora

Key Differences

African elephant is Vulnerable while is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant
Kingdom	Animalia (животные)	Fungi (грибы)
Phylum	Chordata (хордовые)	Ascomycota (аскомицеты)
Class	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Candelariomycetes (Candelariomycetes)
Order	Proboscidea (хоботные)	Candelariales (Candelariales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Pycnoraceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Pycnora
Species	Loxodonta africana	Pycnora sorophora

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant
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.

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Pycnora sorophora is a small, crustose lichen with a pale greenish-grey to yellowish thallus producing granular soredia as its primary reproductive structure. It inhabits the bark of old conifers and smooth-barked deciduous trees in humid temperate and boreal forests of Europe. This lichen is associated with stable, old-growth forest microhabitats.