African elephant vs Common Yellow Wood-Sorrel

Loxodonta africana compared with Oxalis dillenii

Key Differences

African elephant is Vulnerable while Common Yellow Wood-Sorrel is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Common Yellow Wood-Sorrel
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Magnoliopsida (พืชใบเลี้ยงคู่)
Order	Proboscidea (อันดับช้าง)	Oxalidales (อันดับกระทืบยอด)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Oxalidaceae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Oxalis
Species	Loxodonta africana	Oxalis dillenii

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Common Yellow Wood-Sorrel

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Common Yellow Wood-Sorrel
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 Yellow Wood-Sorrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Turkey), Europe (23 countries), and North America (Canada, 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 Yellow Wood-Sorrel

<em>Oxalis dillenii</em>, the common yellow wood sorrel or slender yellow wood sorrel, is a small annual to short-lived perennial herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae. It is native to eastern North America and has been introduced to many parts of Europe, Asia, and other temperate regions, where it occurs as a weed of cultivated ground, roadsides, waste places, lawns, and disturbed habitats. The plant typically grows 10–35 cm tall and produces trifoliate leaves with three notched, heart-shaped leaflets that fold downward in darkness or heat. Small bright yellow flowers with five petals are produced from spring through autumn. The cylindrical seed pods eject seeds forcibly at maturity. Biological traits such as average lifespan and body measurements remain poorly documented in consolidated scientific literature. Like other Oxalis species, <em>Oxalis dillenii</em> contains oxalic acid, giving leaves a sour taste and making them mildly toxic when consumed in large quantities. The plant provides nectar for small generalist pollinators. It has not been formally evaluated for IUCN conservation status but is considered common and widespread with no conservation concerns across its introduced and native ranges.