Living BeingsCompare species
Bacillus subtilis
Bacillus subtilis
African Savanna Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Evidence from the profiles
Compare their characteristics
| Trait | Bacillus subtilis | African Savanna Elephant |
|---|---|---|
| Physical traits | Vegetative cells are rods that may occur in chains. An endospore is a differentiated structure formed within a cell. | Broad ears, a long trunk and column-like legs give the animal its familiar outline. The trunk tip has two finger-like projections. Both sexes can develop tusks. |
| Habitat and range | Soil-associated and plant-associated environments provide changing supplies of organic nutrients. Laboratory strains allow these responses to be studied in controlled conditions. | Savannas and open woodland provide a shifting mixture of browse, grass, shade and drinking water. Seasonal water availability influences the places that herds use. |
| Diet and nutrition | Organic compounds support growth, and secreted enzymes help make substrate resources available. | Grasses, leaves, bark and other plant material make up its diet. The trunk gathers food and moves it to the mouth. |
| Behavior and activity | Populations can develop distinct physiological states as conditions change. Nutrient limitation can initiate sporulation. | Female relatives and their young form long-lasting social groups. Older females hold knowledge of familiar routes and resources; adult males have a different pattern of association. |
| Reproduction and life cycle | Growing vegetative cells can differentiate into resistant endospores. A growth-and-sporulation study found that cells differ in their probability and timing of entering that process. Sporulation is not an immediate population-wide switch, and one cell producing an endospore is a survival transition rather than an increase in cell number. | Calves are born alive and depend on milk and extended social care. Learning from other elephants is an important part of growing up. |
| Geographic distribution | Isolates and research cultures occur internationally. Strain provenance is more precise than a claim that every soil contains this species. | Native to sub-Saharan Africa. This account follows the savanna-elephant species concept rather than treating all African elephants as one species. |
| Ecological role | Growth on organic material and interactions near plants place the bacterium within complex soil communities. | Feeding and movement alter vegetation, and dung transfers seeds and nutrients. Habitat fragmentation and killing for ivory threaten populations. |
| Distinctive adaptations | Endospore formation separates survival through adverse conditions from rapid vegetative multiplication. | Data unavailable |
Classification
Shared ancestry
Closest shared taxon: cellular organisms.