African elephant vs Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

Loxodonta africana compared with Peltigera aphthosa

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Common Freckle Pelt Lichen is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Common Freckle Pelt Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Fungi (เห็ดรา)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Proboscidea (อันดับช้าง)	Peltigerales (Peltigerales)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Peltigeraceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Peltigera
Species	Loxodonta africana	Peltigera aphthosa

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Common Freckle Pelt Lichen
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.

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Common Freckle Pelt Lichen

<em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> is a foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae, order Peltigerales, commonly known as common freckle pelt or speckled felt lichen. This species holds the conservation status of Extinct on the IUCN Red List, representing a serious loss of biodiversity. <em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> has been recorded in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. Historically, this lichen grew in cool, humid environments including boreal and montane forests, typically on mossy ground, rocks, and tree bases in old-growth habitats. Like other members of the genus Peltigera, <em>Peltigera aphthosa</em> is a tripartite lichen containing a cyanobacterial photobiont (providing nitrogen fixation) in addition to the primary green algal photobiont and fungal mycobiont, making it an ecologically significant contributor to nutrient cycling. Its large, lobed thallus was characterized by distinctive dark cephalodia — wart-like structures housing the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. The extinction of this species underscores the vulnerability of lichens to habitat degradation, air pollution, and climate change. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.