Elephants

Compared to the Asain elephant, the African Elephant are larger, have bigger ears, longer tusks, a dipped back, smooth forehead, and two small moveable protrusions called fingers at the end of their trunks, have fewer teeth, and are generally less hairy. These elephants are divided into two different populations: the African Savannah (sometimes called African Bush) and the African Forest. The Savannah and Forest Elephants can interbreed, but it isn't all that common since they prefer different habitats.

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The African Elephants are found in 37 African countries, with the Savannah Elephant being the largest of the elephants, it also carries the distinction of being the largest land animal in the world. The range of the Savannah Elephant is typically south of the Sahara Desert.

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Compared to the Savannah Elephant, the African Forest Elephant is smaller, more round, has thinner and straighter tusks, and live in the dense rainforests of central and western Africa. Not as much is known about the African Forest Elephants because their habitat makes them difficult to study in the wild.



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The Asain Elephant is smaller, has smaller ears, shorter tusks, an arched back, two humps on it's forehead, one small moveable protrusion (called a finger) at the end of it's trunk, more teeth and are are generally more hairy. The Asian Elephant, also called the Indian elephant, also has a few subspecies, such as the Sri Lankan Elephant. The Sri Lankan Elephant have areas of pink on their ears, face, trunk, and belly. The Sri Lankan are the largest of the Asian Elephants and are endangered. Many have found refuge in the Pinnawala elephant orphanage at Sri Lanka.

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The female elephant will be ready to mate at age 13, and will seek out the most handsome male to breed with. To the female elephant, the bigger and stronger, the better. Age is also important to her. They prefer the older, more mature males, not those young bulls. Her pregnancy will last 22 months(which makes me glad I'm not an elephant).

At birth, the calf will weigh about 250 pounds (ouch!), and stand about 2 1/2 feet tall, and is nearly blind, relying on touch. The birth of a calf is a joyous occasion for the herd, with many of them gathering around to touch and caress the baby. The young calf is a handfull though, having little survival instinct and being completely dependant on it's herd for survival. The elders in the herd are responsible for teaching the little one how to survive and thrive in the wild, and the females in the herd are responsible for caring and protecting the young ones, truly adhering to the wise adage it takes a village (or herd) to raise a 'child'.

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The elephant trunk is probably the most important part of the elephants body. The elephant uses this appendage to drink water, splash themselves with dirt or water, pull down trees and grab leaves, greet and touch each other, as protection or warning, and of course, to smell!
An elephant has 6 sets of teeth throughout their lifetime, and some scientists believe that older elephants die form starvation because they have lost the last set of teeth. The teeth are lost because they are ground down from the elephants diet, and they fall out when they have been ground to a certain point and are no longer useful to the elephant.
The tusk of the male is longer than the females, and are used as a tool and a defense. They grow continually, and unfortunately, are sought after by poachers as the source for ivory.

Creative Commons picture courtesy of Rajesh Kakkanatt.

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According to scientists, the two closest living relatives to the elephant are those of the Sirenia Order such as the manatee and of the Hyracoidea Order such as the hyrax. One can see the resemblance between a manatee and an elephant, but a hyrax? It's a strange world we live in.

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