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Weighing up to 6000 kg (6.6 tons) and measuring up to 3.3 m (10 ft.) at the shoulder, the African elephant is the world's largest land mammal. It is characterized by its highly dexterous trunk, long curved tusks, and massive ears.

A combination of the upper lip and nose, an African elephant's trunk is extremely versatile. Elephants use their trunk for smelling, breathing, detecting vibrations, caressing their young, sucking up water, and grasping objects. The tip of their trunk is comprised of two opposable extensions, or fingers, which allow for extreme dexterity.

Both male and female elephants possess tusks, which are modified incisor teeth. Although tusks are present at birth, the "baby tusks" fall out after a year, and permanent ones replace them. These tusks will continue to grow throughout the elephant's life. Similar to the trunk, elephant tusks are utilized in a wide range of activities. They are used for digging, foraging, and fighting. At times, they also act as a resting place for the elephant's very heavy trunk.

An African elephant's large ears also serve many purposes. The ears' large surface area helps radiate excess heat under the harsh African sun. The ears are also often used to communicate visually. Flapping their ears can signify either aggression or joy. And finally, elephants' ears, used in conjunction with the soles of their feet and their trunk, aid in the ability to hear sounds over long distances. On average, an elephant can hear another elephant's call at 4 km (2.5 mi.) away. Under ideal conditions, their range of hearing can be increased to 10 km (6.2 mi.).

Although elephants can make a very wide range of sounds (10 octaves), they mostly communicate through low frequency sounds called "rumbling." In fact, elephants are capable of producing and perceiving sounds one to two octaves lower than the human hearing limit. As lower frequency sounds travel farther than their higher counterparts, their range of communication is extensive. Furthermore, elephants have the ability to judge the distance from another elephant based on the pitch of his/her call. As the sound travels over distances, the higher tones will fade out, leaving a lower pitch.

Communication is vital to elephants, who rely on a social network for survival. The sustaining social unit is a herd of mothers and their young, sisters, and female cousins, led by an older matriarch. Male elephants will leave the herd at around 14 years old when they hit puberty. They then join a loose-knit band of other bull elephants, leaving the bachelor herd at will to search for potential mates.

Upon successful mating, the male elephant will move on to other herds, and the female will start a 22-month gestation period. When the calf is born, aunts, sisters, and cousins all help care for the newborn. In this way, all the elephants of the herd learn essential lessons in rearing a baby. And since elephants only give birth once every 5 years, successfully raising their offspring is critical to their survival.

Aside from their ability to learn through watching and mimicking, African elephants also possess other very human qualities. Their great capacity for compassion is demonstrated as they care for the wounded and grieve the deceased. Their developed sense of memory allows them not only to remember lost loved ones, but also to harbor grudges, and recognize long-lost friends. Upon the return of a friend, elephants take part in a joyous greeting ceremony where they spin in circles, flap their ears, and trumpet.

Having adapted to life across Africa's diverse ecosystems, the African elephant plays a vital role in maintaining ecological harmony. African elephants ingest plants and fruits, walk for miles, and excrete the seeds in fertile dung piles. In this way, new plants can grow in different areas and can cross fertilize. In fact, 90 different tree species rely on the elephant for propagation. African elephants also dig holes to expose underground springs. This allows smaller animals to access water in drier times.

Conservation Status

As African elephants act as a keystone species, it is vital to take steps in their conservation. Poaching and urban sprawl pose a massive threat to their survival. As such, the African elephant is classified as a vulnerable species under IUCN's Red List.

What You Can Do to Help

There are several ways to help support African elephants. One way is to participate in eco-tourism. Boosting Africa's economy through eco-tourism helps placate local residents who view elephants as pests.

The illegal ivory trade has skyrocketed in recent years. Decreasing the demand for ivory is essential. Never buy, sell, or wear ivory. Write to your politicians to speak out against poaching. (Americans can write a letter to the Secretary of State on the Wildlife Conservation Society website.) For information on organizations that combat the illegal ivory trade, see National Geographic's page, Blood Ivory: How to Help.

In addition, you can help provide captive elephants with the best possibly life. Boycott circuses, whose unethical treatment includes chaining elephants up by their feet and trunks, as well as beating them frequently. Encourage zoos to create environments similar to African elephants' native habitat. They should be able to encompass elephant families and their travel patterns, and they should be located in a warm climate so that the elephants can spend all year outside.

African Elephant Distribution

Elephant Resources

More Elephant Stuff from Animal Fact Guide

Blog Posts about the African Elephant

Featured Quiz: African Animals - May 15, 2018

Featured Animal: African Elephant - August 2, 2017

World Elephant Day - August 12, 2016

VIDEO: Baby Elephant Playing with Birds - July 31, 2015

World Elephant Day - August 12, 2014

Elephants at Play - May 17, 2013

The Decline of Forest Elephants - April 2, 2013

Elephant Calf at Toledo Zoo - June 6, 2011

Baby African Elephant Arrives at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park - March 18, 2009

Study Shows Elephants Lead Shorter Lives in Zoos - December 16, 2008

About the Author

Abi Cushman is a lifelong animal lover and the editor-in-chief of Animal Fact Guide. She not only writes and edits articles, she also creates animal illustrations for the site.

Follow her on Twitter:@abicushman and Instagram: @abi.cushman

Last updated on August 24, 2014.

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African Elephant Facts for Kids | Elephants | African Animals

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Weighing up to 6000 kg (6.6 tons) and measuring up to 3.3 m (10 ft.) at the shoulder, the African elephant is the world's largest land mammal. It is characterized by its highly dexterous trunk, long curved tusks, and massive ears. A combination of the upper lip and nose, an African elephant's trunk is extremely versatile.

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When an elephant drinks, it sucks as much as 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water into its trunk at a time. Then it curls its trunk under, sticks the tip of its trunk into its mouth, and blows. Out comes the water, right down the elephant's throat.

Since African elephants live where the sun is usually blazing hot, they use their trunks to help them keep cool. First they squirt a trunkful of cool water over their bodies. Then they often follow that with a sprinkling of dust to create a protective layer of dirt on their skin. Elephants pick up and spray dust the same way they do water-with their trunks.

Elephants also use their trunks as snorkels when they wade in deep water. An elephant's trunk is controlled by many muscles. Two fingerlike parts on the tip of the trunk allow the elephant to perform delicate maneuvers such as picking a berry from the ground or plucking a single leaf off a tree. Elephants can also use its trunk to grasp an entire tree branch and pull it down to its mouth and to yank up clumps of grasses and shove the greenery into their mouths.

When an elephant gets a whiff of something interesting, it sniffs the air with its trunk raised up like a submarine periscope. If threatened, an elephant will also use its trunk to make loud trumpeting noises as a warning.

Elephants are social creatures. They sometimes hug by wrapping their trunks together in displays of greeting and affection. Elephants also use their trunks to help lift or nudge an elephant calf over an obstacle, to rescue a fellow elephant stuck in mud, or to gently raise a newborn elephant to its feet. And just as a human baby sucks its thumb, an elephant calf often sucks its trunk for comfort. One elephant can eat 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of food in one day.

People hunt elephants mainly for their ivory tusks. Adult females and young travel in herds, while adult males generally travel alone or in groups of their own.

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When an elephant drinks, it sucks as much as 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water into its trunk at a time. Then it curls its trunk under, sticks the tip of its trunk into its mouth, and blows. Out comes the water, right down the elephant's throat.

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Click here for more animal facts

Elephants are the worlds largest land mammal. A mammal is a species that is born and not hatched from an egg. Mammals have lungs that breathe air. When a female mammal gives birth, their bodies produce milk to feed their babies. Humans are also mammals.

A well-known prehistoric ancestor to the elephant is a woolly mammoth.

The scientific name for an African Elephant is Loxodonta africana and the scientific name for an Asian Elephant is Elephas Maximus.

A female elephant is called a cow. A male elephant is called a bull and a baby elephant is called a calf.

African Elephants vs Asian Elephants

There are two types of Asian Elephants and African Elephants.

African Elephants live in forests, savannas, grasslands throughout Africa.

The African savanna elephant sometimes called the bush elephant is the largest type of elephant.

Asian elephants live in the Southwest part of Asia and also in India. Asian elephants live in tropical forests and mountain forests. A mountain forest is a forest located at a high altitude over 2,500 meters above sea level.

Asian elephants are sometimes divided into fours sub-species the Indian, Sir Lankan, Sumatran and the baby-faced pygmy elephants of Borneo.

African elephants are larger than Asian Elephants. They also have longer trunks and legs and bigger ears.

All African elephants have tusks. Female Asian elephants do not have tusks, some of the males do.

Asian elephants have long thick hairs and African elephants have hardly any hairs.

Elephant Body

An elephant has a large body with a head, four legs, tail, trunk, and tusks. Their skin is very thick and has a rough feel to it.

Elephants have large ears and excellent hearning. Scientists believe by waving their ears helps them stay cool. Elephants also use their ears to express emotion. They will flap their ears when greeting other elephants or are happy. They will push them out and make them look when they feel they are in danger.

Elephants are gray in color.

Elephants grow long teeth, these are called tusks. Tusks never stop growing. Male African Elephants can grow tusks as long as 8ft. Elephant tusks are made out of ivory. Elephants don't have any natural predators, but, humans have been known to kill elephants for their ivory tusks. It is illegal to kill elephants for their ivory, however, poachers are still killing elephants and selling their ivory on the black market. Poaching is when an animal is killed illegally.

Elephant Trunk

Elephants are well-known for their large trunk. An Elephant trunk is made to move in many ways. This helps elephants use their trunk in many different ways.

- Elephants use their trunk to get food and put in their mouth.

Drink- Elephants use their trunk to suck up water after they suck up the water, they squirt the water in their mouth.

Bathe- Elephants also use their trunk to suck up water and spray it over their body to get clean.

Smell- An elephant's trunk is their nose. Elephants use their trunk to smell objects in front of them.

Play- An elephant uses its trunk to greet each other and play.

Attention- Baby calves will raise their trunk to get attention from their mothers and other elephants.

Greeting- Elephants will sometimes greet each other by putting their tusks in each other's mouths.

An elephant's trunk is not only useful but it's also very strong. Their trunk has about 50,000 muscles and no bones. The trunk is strong enough to lift and move trees out of the way! Adult elephants can lift up to 550 pounds using their trunks.

Elephant trunks have "fingers" at the end of it to help the elephant grab objects. An African Elephant has two "fingers" and an Asian Elephant has one "finger."

Largest Land Mammal

Elephants are around 200 pounds when they are born. That's one big baby!

An adult African male elephant can grow to be 12 feet tall and weigh up to 7 tons! A ton is 2,000 pounds. So some elephants can grow up to 14,000 pounds. That is one big animal!

An adult Asian male elephant can grow to be 10 feet tall and weight 2-5 tons.

Female elephants are smaller than males and weigh less.

Elephants are herbivores meaning they only eat plants and vegetables. They do not eat meat. Elephants like to eat berries other fruit, roots, bark, grass, and leaves.

An adult elephant can spend 16 hours of their day eating. An adult elephant eats between 300-600 pounds of food every day. How do they eat all that food? An elephant has four large teeth that they slide back and forth to chew their food. All that chewing wears on elephants teeth. They grow new teeth to replace the old ones. Elephants can go through six sets of teeth in their lifetime.

Since elephants spend so much of their day eating, they spend a lot of time pooping too. An elephant can poop 12-15 times a day all that poop can add up to 300 pounds a day!

Eating all that food can make an elephant thirsty. Elephants can drink between 40-50 gallons of eater every day. Elephants have been known to dig up the ground in search of water.

Elephants travel in herds. A herd is a group of 8 to 30 elephants. Elephant herds are led by females. The leader of the herd is called a matriarch. The matriarch is the oldest female in the group. The matriarch is in charge of finding water and food for the herd.

Male elephants or bulls will stay with the herd for about 12 years. Once they become a full adult they will leave the herd to live with other young male elephants. Once they grow older, they will move on again to live alone.

A mother elephant is pregnant with her baby for 22 months.

A baby elephant is called a calf. A calf is about 200 pounds when they are born. Calves are able to stand and walk only after an hour after they are born.

Calves will suck on its trunk just like some babies suck their fingers or thumbs.

When they are born, they start drinking milk from their mother. A calf will only have their mother's milk for the first couple of months of life. After a couple of months, they will start to eat plants. This is similar to a human baby who also only drinks milk from their mother or formula for their first couple of months, then they will start eating baby food.

A calf will drink up to 3 gallons of milk each day from the age of two years old until they are 10.

When a calf is born it will join the herd. The members of the elephant herd will gather around the new calf to greet him or her. They will make trumpet sounds and touch the calf with their trunk to show how happy they are for the birth of the baby.

It takes an elephant 10-15 years before becoming an adult. Adult male elephants will leave their families and find a new herd. Female elephants stay with their mother's herd.

All members of the herd will help take care of and protect the calf.

Calves love to play just like kids. They will climb on each other and play by using their trunks.

Scientists discovered that elephants sing. They use an ultrasound rumble too low for humans to hear to keep the herd together and to find mates.

Elephants have been taught to paint too. Elephants have been working with people for thousands of years. They have helped carry large objects and have been used for transportation and also used to scare enemies during invasions. Today some elephants are in shows and parades. People work with elephants to teach them commands such as "come" and "bring." Now elephants have been taught to paint too.

Elephants have been taught to use their trunks to hold a paintbrush. Their teacher will pass them a paintbrush will paint on it and direct the elephant to the paper to paint. When the elephant wants a new color he or she will give the paintbrush back to the teacher. When they no longer want to paint they will drop the paintbrush and walk away.

Elephants sleep about 2 hours per day.

Elephants need a lot of water for drinking, swimming and staying clean. They will walk hundreds of miles in search of a source of water.

Elephants like to swim and splash in the water. Once they are finished swimming members of the herd will help each other throw dust all over themselves. The dusk will act as sunblock and bug repellent. Elephants also roll around in the mud to keep cool.

Elephants play an important role in the circle of life. They are "keystone species" which means their existence in important for other plants and animals to survive. As they roam through forests, they push down trees and clear paths. The leaves of the fallen trees become food for the smaller animals. The clear paths also help smaller animals pass through the forest. Their large piles of poop or dung also serve as a food source for dung beetles.

The average lifespan for an elephant is 60-70 years.

Refrences:

Elephants by Julie Murray
The Elephant by Jenni Desmond
Baby Elephant Joins the Herd American Museum and Natural History
Elephants Can Paint Too! by Katya Arnold

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Elephant Facts for Kids - Kids Play and Create

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Elephant Facts for Kids Click here for more animal facts What is an Elephant? Elephants are the worlds largest land mammal. A mammal is a species that is born and not hatched from an egg. Mammals have lungs that breathe air. When a female mammal gives birth, their bodies produce milk to feed ...

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Click here for a list of facts about African Elephants. All the important information you need to know about this amazing animal.

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Elephants might all look the same at first glance, but two species of elephants actually live on the earth - the Asian elephants and the African elephants. Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants. Their ears are smaller, too. Only male Asian elephants have tusks. African elephants are larger and have big, floppy ears shaped like the continent they come from - Africa! Both male and female African elephants have tusks.

Elephants are the largest land mammal. Adults weigh between 6,000 and 11,000 pounds. That's as heavy as a big truck or SUV. Elephants need to eat a lot to fuel those big bodies. In the wild, they eat up to 450 pounds of food each day. Elephants are herbivores. They eat plants, grass, tree bark, and of course, peanuts.

Fun Facts about Elephants for Kids

A baby elephant weighs up to 250 pounds. That's more than your dad weighs!

Male adult elephants need over 70,000 calories each day. That's as many calories as you'd find in 127 Big Mac sandwiches!

Female elephants live in troops. One old mom is in charge. She decides where to sleep and look for food. All the mama elephants help take care of the babies. Male elephants usually live alone.

Elephants take care of each other. If one elephant is sick, other elephants will stay with it.

Elephants can be dangerous if frightened or angered.

Never ever purchase any products made from ivory, this is how poachers make their money.

An elephants brain is up to four times larger than a humans.

There are 16 muscles in the trunk of an Elephant. The trunk has up to 100 muscles.

Elephants are afraid of bees. To protect farmland from hungry elephants some farmers place bee hives on the outskirts of the farmland.

A female elephants gestation period is 22 month. That's the longest pregnancy period in whole animal kingdom.

Elephants have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell.

You know the way we humans hug to greet each other? Well elephants hug each also by wrapping their trunks together.

A baby elephant (calf) just like humans will lose their first set of teeth. They will also lose their first tusks.

When you look at an elephants tusk you do not see the total size. Up to 1/3 of the tusk is hidden in the skull.

An elephant will also use its ears to regulate body temperature.

Elephant Vocabulary

Learn More All About Elephants

Watch this nice video about elephants:

A video of adult elephants helping a drowning baby elephant.

Elephants Q&A

Answer 1: Elephants can live up to 70 years.

Answer 2: Elephants are among the smartest animals in the world. They can work together and solve problems. Elephants have a largest brain of any animal.

Answer 3: A baby elephant is called a calf.

Answer 4: A male Elephant is called a Bull.

Answer 5: Elephants have excellent hearing. They have better hearing than us humans. Elephants can hear some sounds up to 1.5 km away.

Answer 6: Elephants are the largest land animals. The African Elephant is the largest of the two types we have in the world. The Asian Elephant is the smaller of the two.

Answer 7: Elephants cannot jump.

Answer 8: An Elephants skin is an inch thick.

Question 9: Is it true that Elephants purr?

Answer 9: Yes Elephants do purr. They do this as a way of communicating to each other.

Answer 10: An Elephants tusks are made of Ivory, they use the tusks for digging, lifting and when defending themselves.

Answer 11: Yes Elephants have emotions just like we do, they cry, laugh and have an absolutely fantastic memory.

Answer 12: Yes Elephants are good swimmers. They use all four legs to swim and they use their trunk to get air when in deep water.

Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Elephants info? Take the FREE & fun all about Elephants quiz and download FREE Elephants worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Elephants might all look the same at first glance, but two species of elephants actually live on the earth - the Asian elephants and the African elephants. Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants. Their ears are smaller, too. Only male Asian elephants have tusks.

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Elephants might all look the same at first glance, but two species of elephants actually live on the earth - the Asian elephants and the African elephants. Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants. Their ears are smaller, too. Only male Asian elephants have tusks. African elephants are larger and have big, floppy ears shaped like the continent they come from - Africa! Both male and female African elephants have tusks.

Elephants are the largest land mammal. Adults weigh between 6,000 and 11,000 pounds. That's as heavy as a big truck or SUV. Elephants need to eat a lot to fuel those big bodies. In the wild, they eat up to 450 pounds of food each day. Elephants are herbivores. They eat plants, grass, tree bark, and of course, peanuts.

Fun Facts about Elephants for Kids

A baby elephant weighs up to 250 pounds. That's more than your dad weighs!

Male adult elephants need over 70,000 calories each day. That's as many calories as you'd find in 127 Big Mac sandwiches!

Female elephants live in troops. One old mom is in charge. She decides where to sleep and look for food. All the mama elephants help take care of the babies. Male elephants usually live alone.

Elephants take care of each other. If one elephant is sick, other elephants will stay with it.

Elephants can be dangerous if frightened or angered.

Never ever purchase any products made from ivory, this is how poachers make their money.

An elephants brain is up to four times larger than a humans.

There are 16 muscles in the trunk of an Elephant. The trunk has up to 100 muscles.

Elephants are afraid of bees. To protect farmland from hungry elephants some farmers place bee hives on the outskirts of the farmland.

A female elephants gestation period is 22 month. That's the longest pregnancy period in whole animal kingdom.

Elephants have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell.

You know the way we humans hug to greet each other? Well elephants hug each also by wrapping their trunks together.

A baby elephant (calf) just like humans will lose their first set of teeth. They will also lose their first tusks.

When you look at an elephants tusk you do not see the total size. Up to 1/3 of the tusk is hidden in the skull.

An elephant will also use its ears to regulate body temperature.

Elephant Vocabulary

Learn More All About Elephants

Watch this nice video about elephants:

A video of adult elephants helping a drowning baby elephant.

Elephants Q&A

Answer 1: Elephants can live up to 70 years.

Answer 2: Elephants are among the smartest animals in the world. They can work together and solve problems. Elephants have a largest brain of any animal.

Answer 3: A baby elephant is called a calf.

Answer 4: A male Elephant is called a Bull.

Answer 5: Elephants have excellent hearing. They have better hearing than us humans. Elephants can hear some sounds up to 1.5 km away.

Answer 6: Elephants are the largest land animals. The African Elephant is the largest of the two types we have in the world. The Asian Elephant is the smaller of the two.

Answer 7: Elephants cannot jump.

Answer 8: An Elephants skin is an inch thick.

Question 9: Is it true that Elephants purr?

Answer 9: Yes Elephants do purr. They do this as a way of communicating to each other.

Answer 10: An Elephants tusks are made of Ivory, they use the tusks for digging, lifting and when defending themselves.

Answer 11: Yes Elephants have emotions just like we do, they cry, laugh and have an absolutely fantastic memory.

Answer 12: Yes Elephants are good swimmers. They use all four legs to swim and they use their trunk to get air when in deep water.

Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Elephants info? Take the FREE & fun all about Elephants quiz and download FREE Elephants worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Elephants might all look the same at first glance, but two species of elephants actually live on the earth - the Asian elephants and the African elephants. Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants. Their ears are smaller, too. Only male Asian elephants have tusks.

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At first glance, African elephants look similar to Asian elephants, but they are different species that live in different parts of the world. Here are some helpful clues for telling the 2 species apart: African elephants have very large ears that are shaped like the continent of Africa, while Asian elephants have smaller ears.

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At first glance, African elephants look similar to Asian elephants, but they are different species that live in different parts of the world. Here are some helpful clues for telling the 2 species apart: African elephants have very large ears that are shaped like the continent of Africa, while Asian elephants have smaller ears.

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Elephant Facts - African, Asian, Wild, Food, Interesting Information

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There are two types of elephant, the Asian elephant and the African elephant (although sometimes the African Elephant is split into two species, the African Forest Elephant and the African Bush Elephant).

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Want to learn more about the world's largest land animals? This page contains African elephant facts and information. If you enjoy learning about this (usually) gentle giant, then visit our African Animals page and find out about more amazing animals.

African Elephant Information

African Elephants are the world's largest land animal. These gentle giants can be distinguished from their Indian counterparts by their huge ears. African elephants can reach heights of 13 feet (4 meters) at the shoulder. They can weigh as much as 14,000 pounds (6,350 kilograms).

There are two species of African elephant: the African Bush (or Savanna) elephant and the African Forest Elephant. (Until recently, scientists considered Bush Elephants and Forest Elephants to be subspecies, rather than separate species in their own right.)

African Elephant Features

Their huge ears help keep African elephants cool in the African sunshine by radiating heat. Perhaps the best known feature of elephants are their multi-functional long trunks, which can be used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking and grabbing things.

Both male and female African elephants have long upper incisor teeth which develop into ivory tusks which they can use to dig for food and water, and also strip bark from trees. Males will also use their tusks during fights with other males.

You can get an idea just how big and powerful African elephants are in the video below:

African Elephant Facts: Where do African Elephants live?

No big surprise, but African elephants can be found wandering their way through 37 African countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and the rain forests of central and west Africa. A small population exist further north in the Sahel desert of Mali. Forest elephants are smaller than Savannah elephants and are uniquely adapted to the forest habitat found in the Congo Basin.

African Elephant Habitat

African elephants inhabit tropical and sub-tropical broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannahs as well as Miombo woodlands and Acacia savannahs.

African elephants have a strong impact on the habitats they inhabit, and can help to make them suitable for other species. In the forests, it is estimated that 30% of tree species benefit from dispersal and germination via elephants.

What Do African Elephants Eat?

African elephants roam vast distances, foraging as they go. They eat fruit, grasses, bark and roots in huge quantities, consuming up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) per day. They will also consume 30 to 50 gallons of water a day.

African Elephant Population

The African elephant population is estimated at around 470,000 individuals, however, numbers in the last century were estimated to be between 3 and 5 million. Elephant pregnancies are the longest of any mammals, a full 22 months. Females (cows) generally have a single calf every 2 to 4 years. At birth, baby elephants already measure 3 feet (1 meter) in height and weight a massive 200 pounds (91 kilograms).

Female and young elephants live and travel in groups called herds led by an older matriarch female, while males (bulls) are more likely to be found on their own, or in a loose 'bachelor' herd. In the wild,

Are African Elephants Endangered?

African elephants are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. In the 1980s, intensive hunting resulted in the loss of up to 80% of some herds, and 100,000 elephants every year. The ivory trade is the biggest problem facing wild African elephants today. African elephant tusks are made of ivory and many have been killed illegally by poachers who want to sell the ivory.

Due to expansion of human populations, the range of African elephant habitat has shrunk dramatically. Between 1979 and 2007, the range shrank from just over 3 million square miles to just over 1 million square miles.

Organisation such as the International Elephant Foundation have been set up to help save elephants.

Top Ten African Elephant Facts

1. The tip of the African elephant trunk has two opposable extensions which act like fingers.

2. Elephants are born with 'baby tusks' which fall out and are replaced with permanent adult tusks which grown throughout life.

3. On average, elephants can here calls of others from 2.5 miles (4 kilometres away).

4. Elephants care for the wounded and grieve the dead.

5. To greet returning friends, elephants spin in circles, flap their ears and trumpet.

6. Savanna elephants have tusks that curve, forest elephants have tusk pointing straight downward.

7. Elephants a very wrinkly and have sparse hair across the body.

8. African elephants can live to be 70 years old in the wild.

9. There are more than 40,000 muscles and tendons in the elephant trunk.

10. The scientific name of the African elephant is Loxodonta africana. Loxo is from the Greek for oblique sided, and donta is tooth.

Enjoyed these African elephant facts? Want to find out about some more awesome animals? Check out the Active Wild African Animals page.

Related pages:

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African Elephant Facts, Information Pictures & Video

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Want to learn more about the world's largest land animals? This page contains African elephant facts and information. If you enjoy learning about this (usually) gentle giant, then visit our African Animals page and find out about more amazing animals. African Elephants are the world's largest land animal.

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Fun Elephant facts for kids from EleAiders

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Amazing and true elephants facts and information for children. Elefacts

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We all know that elephants are the largest land animals on the earth. They are always fascinated by the humans and frankly saying we all love elephants for their characteristics and features. May be they are too big in size compared to us but they are also very friendly. If trained, elephants have proved themselves as one of the most intelligent animals in this earth. Elephants have always proved themselves as good friends of humans. So this article will give you some amazing African elephant facts for kids. Let's have a look into it and know about the biggest land animal living in this earth.

1. Size Matters: In the world of elephants, the bigger the size is the more better it is. That means looking big really matters among the elephants. Male African elephants grow throughout their life and can reach up to 7.5 tons which is more than two hummers.

2. Foot Pad: Actually the elephant's foot is a spongy pad with four or five toes. The pads under their feet act as a cushion which absorbs the strain of the leg. Just think of the weight their legs normally bear. So cushion is obviously necessary to adjust.

3. Hairs: Have you heard of Woolly Mammoths? Yes they are called as the ancestor of elephants. Woolly mammoths had a bunch of hairs all over their body because of resisting themselves from the cold environment. But the African and Asian Elephants have light brown hairs here and there over their body.

4. The Head: Elephants head is too large and it weighs about 100 of pounds. It is actually supported with extra muscles along the neck. Now the most amazing thing is that the skull has many tiny air pockets to keep the head light.

5. Teeth: Elephants actually have four molar teeth each of which weighs about 11 pounds and measures about 12 inches long. And do you know that elephants replace their teeth every six times throughout their life.

6. Amazing Trunk: The trunk of the elephants is really very amazing in nature. The estimated muscle count of their trunk is in between 40000 to 150000. The trunk is so strong that it can kill a lion easily. They use their trunk for various purpose like picking up leaves and even small objects like coins. They also use their trunk while bathing.

7. Communication: Elephants do most of their communication with touch, smell and taste. Most of the communications are performed by the various body parts like tails, trunks and behavioral changes.

8. Infrasonic Sound: Actually elephant calls are very low about 15 hertz. These are called infrasonic sounds which travel for long distances and most of them occur in the early morning and evening when the air is cool enough to carry the frequency.

9. Social Structure: An elephant family is always formed of a group of related females. Different families meet and feed themselves in the same area. The family is usually led by the oldest female and other members follow her. She decides everything of the family or group.

10. Skin: The skin of the elephants look very tough but they are actually very sensitive. The animal keeps themselves free from pests by rolling them in the mud which is also known as mud bath. This also helps in blocking the harmful UV rays from the sun.

11. Life span: The average lifespan of an elephant is very very long compared to most of the animals in the wild. They can live up to the age of 60 years on an average.

12. Drinking: When an elephant drink water, they suck almost 2 gallons of water at a time in their trunk and then blow it down their throat. Can you imagine the amount of water they drink throughout the day? Yes they needs about 160 liters of water a day to survive.

13. Sense of Smell: African elephants are known to have the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom. They can almost feel everything by smelling them. Even they can smell something dangerous around them.

14. Scare: As elephants have such a big body, we think that they hardly scare any animal in the wild. But no, we are wrong. Elephants are scared by a very small creature and that is Bee.

15. Chins: Elephants are the only mammals besides human who have chins. No other mammals in this world have chins other than humans and elephants.

16. Sleep: Elephants have a large body and they also will need a great time to take rest. But amazingly elephants actually sleep for 2-3 hours a day and that's enough for them.

17. Food: Obviously this large animal will need a huge amount of food to maintain such a big body and according to research; it has been found that an elephants needs about 300 kilograms of food everyday to gain all their energy.

18. Intelligence: African elephants have the intelligence to distinguish human languages, genders and ages associated with dangers.

19. Pregnancy: Elephants remain pregnant for about two years which is also known as the gestation period. It doesn't ends here. After that they start training their new born baby and feed them with foods necessary for their physical development.

20. Brain: The average weight of the brain of elephant is 5 kilograms which is more than any other land animal in this world.

Elephants are really amazing and that's the only word we can say after knowing all these facts. Yeah! From today onwards you got a bit more fascinated towards the elephant. It's very normal for all of us animal lovers. So just share your experience after knowing such interesting African elephant facts for kids.

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20 Interesting African Elephant Facts for Kids - Tail and Fur

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0shares Facebook0 Twitter0 Pinterest0 StumbleUpon0 TumblrWe all know that elephants are the largest land animals on the earth. They are always fascinated by the humans and frankly saying we all love elephants for their characteristics and features. May be they are too big in size compared to us but they are also very friendly.

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The Elephant

Source: USFWS

Back to Animals

Elephants are the biggest land animals in the world. The African elephant is found on the continent of Africa and the Indian elephant is found in Asia. Elephants are mammals as well as herbivores, meaning they only eat plants rather than meat.

Types of Elephants

There are two main types of elephants: the African elephant and the Indian elephant.

African elephant - The African elephant is bigger than the Indian elephant. It has larger ears, too. Both the males and females have tusks. The African elephant has wrinkly gray skin, a swayed back, and two tips at the end of its trunk that it can use like fingers to pick stuff up.

Indian elephant - The Indian, or Asian, elephant is smaller than the African elephant and has smaller ears. They have more of a humped back and only one fingerlike tip at the end of their trunk. Also, their skin tends to be less wrinkly than the African elephant.

African Elephant
Source: USFWS

Just how big are they?
Elephants are truly gigantic animals. They can grow to 11 feet tall and can weigh up to 13,000 pounds. The largest elephant ever was 13 feet tall and weighed 24,000 pounds! Elephants' appetites are as big as their size. They can eat up to 400 pounds and drink up to 30 gallons of water each day.

What do they look like?

Elephants have many interesting features including giant ears, long tusks, and a huge trunk. Elephants flap their giant ears to cool off. Their tusks can be up to 10 feet long. Elephants use their tusks to dig or scrape the bark off of trees. Sometimes they use them to fight. Their tusks continue to grow for their entire life.

The Trunk

An Elephant's trunk is their most versatile appendage. Elephants use their long trunks to pick up food as small as a blade of grass, but also to pull down tree branches to get to food. Elephants also use their trunk to drink, smell, and suck up water to spray themselves for a bath.

African Elephant
Source: USFWS

Are they smart?
Elephants are considered very intelligent. They have very sophisticated social structures and methods of communication. They also are very skilled with tools and can be trained for all sorts of tasks. Maybe there is some truth to the saying that "an elephant never forgets".

Baby Elephants

A baby elephant is called a calf. Like all mammals the babies feed off their mother's milk. They are hairy and usually are between two and three feet tall.

Are they endangered?

Because of their size and prized ivory tusks, elephants have long been a favorite of big game hunters. Too much hunting has caused the elephant population to diminish rapidly. Elephants are now a protected species throughout the world.

Fun Facts About Elephants

An elephant's skin can be up to one inch thick, but it is also very sensitive.

The biggest elephant ever weighed 24,000 pounds and was 13 feet tall.

They can hear each other's calls up to 5 miles away.

Male elephants, or bulls, live alone once they become adults. However, the females, or cows, live in tight family groups led by the oldest female, called a matriarch.

They have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and sense of smell.

Contrary to popular belief, elephants don't really like peanuts.

They will throw sand and dirt on their backs to keep from getting sunburned.

An elephant is smart enough to recognize itself in a mirror.

For more about mammals:

Mammals
African Wild Dog
American Bison
Bactrian Camel
Blue Whale
Dolphins
Elephants
Giant Panda
Giraffes
Gorilla
Hippos
Horses
Meerkat
Polar Bears
Prairie Dog
Red Kangaroo
Red Wolf
Rhinoceros
Spotted Hyena

Back to Mammals

Back to Animals for Kids

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Elephants: Learn about the biggest land animal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why do Elephants have big ears, trunks, tusks? Learn about elephants, the endangered giants of India and Africa

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Elephant

Source: USFWS

Back to Animals

Elephants are the biggest land animals in the world. The African elephant is found on the continent of Africa and the Indian elephant is found in Asia. Elephants are mammals as well as herbivores, meaning they only eat plants rather than meat.

Types of Elephants

There are two main types of elephants: the African elephant and the Indian elephant.

African elephant - The African elephant is bigger than the Indian elephant. It has larger ears, too. Both the males and females have tusks. The African elephant has wrinkly gray skin, a swayed back, and two tips at the end of its trunk that it can use like fingers to pick stuff up.

Indian elephant - The Indian, or Asian, elephant is smaller than the African elephant and has smaller ears. They have more of a humped back and only one fingerlike tip at the end of their trunk. Also, their skin tends to be less wrinkly than the African elephant.

African Elephant
Source: USFWS

Just how big are they?
Elephants are truly gigantic animals. They can grow to 11 feet tall and can weigh up to 13,000 pounds. The largest elephant ever was 13 feet tall and weighed 24,000 pounds! Elephants' appetites are as big as their size. They can eat up to 400 pounds and drink up to 30 gallons of water each day.

What do they look like?

Elephants have many interesting features including giant ears, long tusks, and a huge trunk. Elephants flap their giant ears to cool off. Their tusks can be up to 10 feet long. Elephants use their tusks to dig or scrape the bark off of trees. Sometimes they use them to fight. Their tusks continue to grow for their entire life.

The Trunk

An Elephant's trunk is their most versatile appendage. Elephants use their long trunks to pick up food as small as a blade of grass, but also to pull down tree branches to get to food. Elephants also use their trunk to drink, smell, and suck up water to spray themselves for a bath.

African Elephant
Source: USFWS

Are they smart?
Elephants are considered very intelligent. They have very sophisticated social structures and methods of communication. They also are very skilled with tools and can be trained for all sorts of tasks. Maybe there is some truth to the saying that "an elephant never forgets".

Baby Elephants

A baby elephant is called a calf. Like all mammals the babies feed off their mother's milk. They are hairy and usually are between two and three feet tall.

Are they endangered?

Because of their size and prized ivory tusks, elephants have long been a favorite of big game hunters. Too much hunting has caused the elephant population to diminish rapidly. Elephants are now a protected species throughout the world.

Fun Facts About Elephants

An elephant's skin can be up to one inch thick, but it is also very sensitive.

The biggest elephant ever weighed 24,000 pounds and was 13 feet tall.

They can hear each other's calls up to 5 miles away.

Male elephants, or bulls, live alone once they become adults. However, the females, or cows, live in tight family groups led by the oldest female, called a matriarch.

They have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and sense of smell.

Contrary to popular belief, elephants don't really like peanuts.

They will throw sand and dirt on their backs to keep from getting sunburned.

An elephant is smart enough to recognize itself in a mirror.

For more about mammals:

Mammals
African Wild Dog
American Bison
Bactrian Camel
Blue Whale
Dolphins
Elephants
Giant Panda
Giraffes
Gorilla
Hippos
Horses
Meerkat
Polar Bears
Prairie Dog
Red Kangaroo
Red Wolf
Rhinoceros
Spotted Hyena

Back to Mammals

Back to Animals for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elephants: Learn about the biggest land animal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why do Elephants have big ears, trunks, tusks? Learn about elephants, the endangered giants of India and Africa

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Fun Elephant Facts For Kids [year] [Size, Tusk, Diet, etc]

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Fun Elephant Facts For Kids Elephants are large, majestic animals that have been admired and studied for hundreds of years. They are the largest mammals that live on land and are known for their gentle