Mammals · Proboscidea

Elephant

Loxodonta africana / Elephas maximus

African Forest Elephant Endangered

Elephants are the largest living land animals in the world today, recognized by their long trunks, large ears and tusks. Three species survive: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian (Indian) elephant.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Proboscidea

Family: Elephantidae

Genus: Loxodonta / Elephas

Other names

Pachyderm

Population

An estimated 450,000–700,000 African elephants and 35,000–40,000 wild Asian elephants remain today

Size

Females stand about 8 feet tall at the shoulder; males stand around 10.5 feet tall

Weight

Females up to 8,000 lbs; males up to 15,000 lbs

Habitat

African elephants range across Africa; Asian elephants are found in India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia

Description

Large gray mammals with thick skin, big ears, and a long, muscular trunk containing roughly 40,000 muscles — flexible, agile, and sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass

Diet

Herbivore — grass, leaves, twigs, bark, fruit, and seed pods, consuming about 5% of body weight and drinking 30–50 gallons of water daily

Conservation status

The African forest elephant is endangered; the African bush elephant is threatened

Communication

A wide range of vocalizations, from loud trumpeting calls to low infrasonic rumbles

Gestation

About 22 months — the longest of any land mammal

Birth

A single calf per birth, weighing 200–250 lbs and standing 26–42 inches tall

Sexually mature

Between 17 and 20 years of age

Life span

50–70 years

Social structure

Structured family groups of 8–100 members led by the oldest female. Mature males leave the herd around age 12–15 to live solitary or loosely bachelor lives.

Did You Know?

The calls elephants make can be heard by other elephants up to 5 miles away.

Did You Know?

An elephant’s skin is so sensitive it can feel a fly landing on it, despite being up to an inch thick in places.