Asiatic elephant vs clusterleaf

Elephas maximus compared with Terminalia sericea

Key Differences

• Asiatic elephant is Endangered while clusterleaf is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Asiatic elephant	clusterleaf
Kingdom	Animalia (动物界)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索动物门)	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳動物)	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)
Order	Proboscidea (长鼻目)	Myrtales (桃金娘目)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Combretaceae
Genus	Elephas (Asian Elephants)	Terminalia
Species	Elephas maximus	Terminalia sericea

Conservation Status

Asiatic elephant

EN — Endangered

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

clusterleaf

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Asiatic elephant	clusterleaf
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	60 years	—
Average Length	5.5 m	—
Average Weight	4.0 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.

clusterleaf

Habitat

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

Range

Found in India.

Asiatic elephant

亚洲象（Elephas maximus）是现存最大的陆地动物之一，分布于南亚和东南亚。该物种保护状态为濒危（EN），主要面临栖息地丧失和偷猎的威胁，在许多亚洲文化中具有重要的文化和宗教意义。

clusterleaf

Terminalia sericea, known as clusterleaf or silver terminalia, is a medium-sized deciduous tree in the family Combretaceae native to the savanna woodlands and bushveld of southern Africa, ranging from South Africa through Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and into Zambia and Mozambique. The species is a characteristic and abundant component of the broad-leaved miombo and mopane woodland systems of the region. Trees typically reach 6–12 meters in height, distinguished by their distinctive silvery-grey leaves clustered at branch tips, which account for the common name clusterleaf. The leaf undersides are covered with fine silky hairs giving a silver sheen that is particularly visible in sunlight and dry season conditions. Terminalia sericea is prized for its dense, durable hardwood, and extracts from the roots, bark, and leaves have extensive applications in traditional African medicine, being used to treat infections, stomach complaints, and malaria symptoms. Pharmacological research has confirmed antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in the species. It produces small, winged fruits that are wind-dispersed across the savanna landscape. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains common and widespread across its southern African range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇮🇳 India