Elephants are large land mammals in two genera of the family
Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta. Three species of elephant
are living today: the African Bush Elephant, the African Forest
Elephant and the Asian Elephant (also known as the Indian
Elephant). The elephant has appeared in cultures across the
world. They are a symbol of wisdom in Asian cultures and are
famed for their memory and intelligence.
African elephants are distinguished from Asian elephants in
several ways, the most noticeable being their much larger
ears. In addition, the African elephant is typically larger
than the Asian elephant and has a concave back. In Asian elephants
only males have tusks, but both males and females of African
elephants have tusks and are usually less hairy than their
Asian cousins.
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