African elephant vs

Loxodonta africana compared with Clostridium septicum

Key Differences

  • African elephant is Vulnerable while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank African elephant
Kingdom Animalia (动物界) Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum Chordata (脊索动物门) Firmicutes_A
Class Mammalia (哺乳動物) Clostridia (梭菌纲)
Order Proboscidea (长鼻目) Clostridiales (梭菌目)
Family Elephantidae (Elephants) Clostridiaceae
Genus Loxodonta (African Elephants) Clostridium
Species Loxodonta africana Clostridium septicum

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

NE — Not Evaluated

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 Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

African elephant

非洲象是地球上体型最大的陆地动物,体重可达7,000千克,栖息于撒哈拉以南非洲的草原、稀树草原和森林中。作为关键种,它们通过挖掘水源、传播种子和改变植被结构,深刻塑造了其栖息地的生态系统。受栖息地丧失和象牙盗猎威胁,非洲象的保护至关重要。

Clostridium septicum is a highly virulent, anaerobic, endospore-forming bacterium in the family Clostridiaceae and an important cause of nontraumatic clostridial myonecrosis (gas gangrene) and fatal septicemia in humans and livestock. Unlike C. perfringens, which typically requires predisposing tissue injury, C. septicum is notable for its ability to cause spontaneous gas gangrene arising from bacteremic seeding of intestinal origin, most often in patients with occult colorectal malignancy, hematological malignancies, or neutropenia. The bacterium produces several toxins including alpha-toxin, a pore-forming cytolysin, and hyaluronidase, which facilitate tissue invasion and destruction. Endospores are ubiquitous in soil and the intestinal contents of healthy animals and humans. In livestock, C. septicum causes braxy (sheep abomasitis) and malignant edema, economically significant diseases in sheep and cattle grazing on contaminated pastures. The strong clinical association between spontaneous C. septicum bacteremia and gastrointestinal malignancy means that its isolation from blood cultures warrants urgent investigation for underlying colonic pathology.

Nature FYI Family

Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.

Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia