|
The African Elephant is the largest land mammal present on Earth and is an immensely strong and intelligent animal. Large male African elephants have been known to grow to a height of above 12 feet and weigh around 6-10 tons. African elephants are larger then Asian Elephants, have bigger ears and have two fingers at the tip of their trunk, while the Asian elephant has just one. Both Male and female African elephants have large tusks, which are large incisor teeth of the upper jaw. African elephants are threatened by poachers, who hunt them for their magnificent tusks. African elephants occur in two sub species, one that lives in the open savannah and the other that inhabits the forests of central Africa. |
Zoological name: Loxodonta africana
Range: The African Elephant is found in Southern, Central and Eastern Africa. It prefers to inhabit grasslands, river valleys, forests and can also inhabit semi-desert areas.
Estimated population: It is estimated that there are around 500,000 African Elephants in the wild.
Physical appearance: African elephants are grayish-brown. They spray dust over their bodies to protect themselves from insects and from the harsh sun. This dust covering can make an elephant look black, white, or red depending on the color of the soil.
Habitat: African elephants occur in two sub species - the smaller African Forest Elephant, which lives in the rainforest in the Congo basin and the larger African Bush Elephant which is found in the open savannah in Eastern, Southern and Central Africa.
Diet: Elephants are herbivores and require large amounts of food to sustain their huge bodies. Adult male elephants can eat over 200 Kilograms of vegetation in a day. Elephants eat grass, leaves, shrubs and have been known to denude the bark of trees. They spend many hours in a day foraging for food. They drink large amounts of water, by sucking it into their trunks and spraying it into their mouths. They also eat fruit and in areas of human encroachment have been known to feed on standing crops.
Behavior: African Elephants live in groups led by an elderly female known as the matriarch. The family group consists of a number of female elephants, some adult males and their offspring. Young male elephants often leave their family on reaching puberty and live in bachelor herds. Elephant groups protect their young and will use their tusks to ward off predators such as lions.
Elephants are social animals and communicate using a range of sounds including infrasound. Their trunks are used for lifting objects, drinking, smelling, and for greeting each other. Elephants are playful and gregarious and have been observed helping older or sick elephants. They have excellent memories and migrate annually across the countryside in search of food or water. Elephants in the wild can live for 60-70 years.
Status: African Elephants are threatened by habitat
loss, poaching and human population pressure. Elephants are
increasingly confined to isolated wildlife reserves.
|
About Us
