ELEPHANTS

ELEPHANTS Elephants are large land mammals. Largest land mammal now living. Elephants belong to the Elephantidae family. There are three species of Elephants living today. - The African Bush Elephant. - The African Forest Elephant. - The Asian Elephant. All other species are extinct. Asian Elephant Calf

ELEPHANTS Elephants live for 50 – 70 years. The oldest recorded Elephant lived for 82 years. At birth an Elephant Calf can weigh 120 kilograms. The largest Elephant recorded weighed 11,000 kilograms. Female Elephants stay pregnant for 22 months.

ELEPHANTS Proboscis is the Elephants trunk. A fusion of the nose and upper lip. The trunk is elongated and specialized to become the Elephants most important appendage. African Elephants have two finger like projections at the tip of the trunk, Asians have only one. Elephants trunk is strong enough to rip a trunk from a tree or to pick up a single blade of grass.

ELEPHANTS THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT The Elephants of the genus Loxodonta. Two species – Savanna & Forest Found in 37 countries in Africa. Larger than the Asian Elephant and have a concave back. Much larger ears than Asian Elephants. Males and Females have tusks. Less hairy. Between 470,000 – 690,000 African Elephants in the wild.

ELEPHANTS THE ASIAN ELEPHANT Elephas Maximus – is the smaller Elephant. Several subspecies of Elephas Maximus. Only males have tusks. Also called Indian Elephants. Population of around 60,000. Between 14,500 – 15,300 domesticated Elephants in Asia