Asiatic elephant vs Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Elephas maximus compared with Hippopotamus amphibius

Key Differences

• Asiatic elephant is Endangered while Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo is Vulnerable.
• Asiatic elephant is 2.7x heavier than Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo.
• Asiatic elephant lives longer (60 years vs 40 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class same	Mammalia (memeliler)	Mammalia (memeliler)
Order	Proboscidea (Hortumlular)	Artiodactyla (Çift toynaklılar)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Hippopotamidae (Hippos)
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Hippopotamus (Hippos)
Species	Elephas maximus	Hippopotamus amphibius

Evolutionary Relationship

Asiatic elephant and Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (memeliler)

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~130.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo
Diet	Herbivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	60 years	40 years
Average Length	5.5 m	3.5 m
Average Weight	4.0 t	1.5 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Asiatic elephant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

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

Distributed across Colombia and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Asiatic elephant

Smaller than its African cousin, Asiatic elephants range across South and Southeast Asian forests and grasslands from India to Indonesia. Distinguished by their smaller ears, rounded back, and a single finger-like projection on the trunk tip. Deeply interwoven with Asian cultures, they have been used in religious ceremonies and as working animals for millennia. Endangered, with fewer than 50,000 remaining in the wild.

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Africa's most dangerous large mammal, common hippos can reach 3,200 kg and inhabit rivers, lakes, and wetlands of sub-Saharan Africa. Semi-aquatic, spending up to 16 hours daily submerged to keep cool, they graze on land at night. Despite appearing docile, hippos are extremely aggressive and territorial, responsible for hundreds of human fatalities annually. Vulnerable, with populations threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting for ivory tusks.