African Elephants (Loxodanta)
The largest mammals on the planet, elephants are characterized by their enormous bodies, long trunks, and large ears. The African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant are the two species of African elephants that are currently extant. Despite being social herbivores, these two species differ in the size and color of their tusks, as well as in the size and shape of their skulls and ears.
The IUCN has listed the African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant on its red list as being at high risk of extinction as of 2021. The African bush elephant is listed as endangered, while the African forest elephant is listed as critically endangered. Both species are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and poaching, particularly for their ivory.
Facts about African Elephants
The largest mammals on the planet, elephants are characterized by their enormous bodies, long trunks, and large ears. The African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant are the two species of African elephants that are currently extant. Despite being social herbivores, these two species differ in the size and color of their tusks, as well as in the size and shape of their skulls and ears.
Both the African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant are considered to be at a high risk of extinction and have been marked on the red list by the IUCN as of 2021. African bush elephant is considered endangered whereas the African forest elephant is critically endangered and are all threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, as well as poaching, especially for their ivory.
Facts about African Elephants
Male and female African elephants have tusks that grow from deciduous teeth that are replaced when the calves are 1 year old.
Their large ears help to reduce heat loss, especially during hot climatic conditions.
Elephants can swim in water with the help of their trunks.
In addition to fighting with one another, particularly during mating season, their tusks enable them to dig out roots and strike the back of the trees for food.
Their sparse dark brown to black hair covers their grey, folded skin, which can be up to 30 mm thick.
Elephant tusks range in length from 5 to 8 feet and weigh between 23 and 45 kilograms (51 and 99 pounds). Over the course of the elephant's life, these forward-curving tusks continue to grow.
Elephants have four molars, each measuring around 30 centimeters and weighing around five kilograms.
Elephants lose their last molar teeth when they are 40 to 60 years old, and since they are unable to pick food, they typically die of starvation.
The largest terrestrial animal is the African bush elephant, with cows standing 2.2–2.6 meters tall and bulls standing 3.2-4 meters tall and weighing 4,700–6,048 kg.
Elephants tear branches with their tusks and gather leaves with their trunks for food.
The hindgut ferments food, allowing it to absorb a lot of food.
Reproduction
Between 25 and 45, elephants become fertile and calves are born after a gestation period of two years. They are cared for by all the other young calves and their mother in the entire group. Female African elephants can start reproducing at around 10 to 12 years of age and are in estrus for about 2 to 7 days
Although they don't have a set time to mate, they are less likely to do so during dry spells than during periods of abundant water. Elephants have a 22-month gestation period, and fertile females typically give birth every three to six years, meaning that if an elephant lives to be about 50 years old, she may have seven children. There is fierce competition for access to estrous females because they are a limited and movable resource for the males.