The
African elephant is the largest land mammal on Earth. There are two species of
African Elephant: African savanna, (Loxodonta africana); African forest
(Africana cyclotis)
Description and Characteristics: The African
Elephant has a marked dip between its fore and hindquarters giving a concave
curvature to its back. It's ears are large and fan-like and are also used to
control body temperature; blood circulating through the large vessels in the
ears is cooled by flapping. They have acute hearing.
Large tusks are
present in both sexes, they first appear at the age of about two and continue
to grow throughout their lives. Elephants use tusks for peeling bark off trees,
digging for roots, herding young, “drilling” for water and sometimes
as a weapon. Skin is up to 2.5 cm thick in places
The trunk is probably
the most facsinating feature of the elephant - it has two prehensile
protrusions at the tip (the Asian elephant has only one). It is used for
eating, drinking, dust and water bathing, as well as an important form of
communication. The truck also shows the mood of an elephant - it uses it's
truck to end off other elephants and intruders and also uses it as a punching
or thrusting weapon. An elephant has a strong sense of smell and can locate
water by smelling the earth above.
An elephant has very small eyes in
relation to its head and has poor eyesight.
Elephants form deep family
bonds and live in tight social units. A family is led by an older matriarch and
typically includes three or four of her offspring and their young. Males tend
to leave the family unit between the ages of 12 and 15 and may lead solitary
adult lives.
Feeding/drinking
Habits: Elephants spend about 16 hours a day eating, their daily
intake is between 4 and 7% of bodyweight. Elephants drink up to 160 liters of
water per day. A mature elephant can carry up to 6.8 litres of water in its
trunk. Their diet is varied and includes grass, leaves, twigs, bark and fruit.
Habitat: Elephants are found,
south of the Sahara, in 37 different countries in Africa, but are most popular
in Southern and Eastern Africa. Food and water needs to be
plentiful
Size & Lifespan The
male elephant is much larger than the female - Males elephants grow up to 3.5m
and Females up to 2.7m. Males can weight up 6 tons whilst females up to 2.7
tons. The life expectancy of an elephant is up to 60 years
Reproduction: Elephants do not have any specific
mating season. The gestation period for elephant is 20-22 months. Calves weigh
about 120kg at birth and they are born throughout the year. They are weaned at
3-8 years, generally just before the birth of the next calf. A cow can give
birth every 3-4 years
Predators and
Threats: Elephants have no natural enemies for they not a
predator themselves and there is none large enough to challenge him. However,
their future is threatened by increasing human populations which causes the
loss of their natural habitat - plus the continuing ivory trade.
African Elephants: A Celebration of Majesty
- Daryl Balfour a celebration of the most magnificent
awe-inspiring land animal on earth. This incredible collection of over 200
photographs, reveals the fascinating lives of African elephants, their
individual behavior, and even their intriguing social relationships. Buy
From (amazon.com) - USA(amazon.co.uk) - UK
Elephants - (Worldlife Library)
Joyce Poole ". . . an informative and sensitively written primer about
African and Asian Elephants by a world authority on these splendid mammals. . .
. Excellent color photographs add significant impact to the text. Anyone
interested in elephants will welcome reading this fine book. Buy
From (amazon.com) - USA(amazon.co.uk) - UK
Elephant Destiny - Martin Meredith
a wonderful, well written, illustrated book about elephants and their role
throughout history, as well as their present state in the world. Covers all the
major topics including biology, social behavior, recent scientific discoveries,
ancient elephantology, the devastating ivory trade, the truth about elephant
graveyards and the insistent threat of extinction. Buy From (amazon.com) - USA(amazon.co.uk) - UK
Posters of Elephants
Old African
elephant bull resting his trunk on his tusk Click to Buy
Oaklandzoo more information about the African Elephant
Space for
Elephants a non-profit conservation, research and educational
organisation.
Elephant Management & Owners
Association incorporates elephant owners and managers and other
interested persons into a single association that promotes, monitors and
advises on all aspects of elephant management, conservation and welfare.
