African elephant vs Cobra Clubtail

Loxodonta africana compared with Gomphurus vastus

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while Cobra Clubtail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	Cobra Clubtail
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Arthropoda (Eklem bacaklılar)
Class	Mammalia (memeliler)	Insecta (böcek)
Order	Proboscidea (Hortumlular)	Odonata (Kızböcekleri)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Gomphidae
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Gomphurus
Species	Loxodonta africana	Gomphurus vastus

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and Cobra Clubtail share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (hayvan)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Cobra Clubtail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	Cobra Clubtail
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.

Cobra Clubtail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in 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.

Cobra Clubtail

The cobra clubtail (Gomphurus vastus) is a large, robust dragonfly belonging to the family Gomphidae, distinguished by the characteristic club-shaped expansion at the terminal segments of the male's abdomen—a feature that lends the entire clubtail family its common name. This species is one of the largest gomphids in eastern North America, with a body length typically reaching 60–75 millimeters. Males display striking yellow and black patterning along the abdomen, with the club markings particularly vivid during territorial displays. Cobra clubtails inhabit large, clean rivers with moderate to swift currents and sandy or gravelly substrates, where larvae burrow into the riverbed during their multi-year aquatic development. The species is distributed across the eastern United States, with strongholds in river systems draining the Appalachian foothills and the Midwest, including portions of the Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi River drainages. Adults are strong fliers that perch on rocks and logs near the water's edge, making short forays to catch flying insect prey in mid-air. Mating occurs in flight over the river, and females deposit eggs directly into the water by tapping the abdomen on the surface. The cobra clubtail is sensitive to water quality degradation and siltation, serving as a bioindicator of river health. It is listed as Least Concern given its relatively broad distribution across river systems with adequate habitat quality.