Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. There are three kinds: the African savanna, African forest and Asian elephant. They use their boneless trunks like hands, eat 75 to 150 kg of plants a day, live in family herds and have the longest pregnancy of any mammal, about 22 months.
elephants quick facts
- There are three kinds of elephant: African savanna, African forest and Asian.
- An elephant’s trunk has no bones.
- Elephants eat 75 to 150 kg of plants a day.
- An elephant pregnancy lasts about 22 months.
- Elephant rumbles can be heard up to 8 km away.
What is an elephant?
Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. WWF describes them as having massive bodies, large ears and long trunks.
There are three kinds of elephant: the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant, according to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
The African savanna elephant is the biggest. The Asian elephant and the African forest elephant are a similar, smaller size.
| Elephant at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Kinds | African savanna, African forest and Asian |
| Height | up to about 3.2 m (10.5 feet) at the shoulder for African males |
| Weight | African males 5,400 to 6,800 kg (12,000 to 15,000 pounds) |
| Food | 75 to 150 kg (165 to 330 pounds) of plants a day |
| Pregnancy | about 22 months |
| Lifespan | median life expectancy 38 to 47 years |
| Status | Endangered or Critically Endangered |
How big are elephants?
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says male African elephants stand 3 to 3.2 m (10 to 10.5 feet) tall at the shoulder and weigh 5,400 to 6,800 kg (12,000 to 15,000 pounds).
The biggest elephant on record was a male that weighed about 10,900 kg (24,000 pounds) and stood nearly 4 m (13 feet) tall.
Asian elephants are smaller. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo says they weigh 2,700 to 5,400 kg (6,000 to 12,000 pounds) and stand 1.8 to 3.7 m (6 to 12 feet) tall at the shoulder.
To picture that weight, think of cars. A big African elephant weighs as much as four or five family cars.
The amazing trunk
An elephant’s trunk is its nose and upper lip joined together, and it has no bones at all.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says the trunk has eight major muscles on each side and about 150,000 small bundles of muscle in total. It is strong enough to lift a tree trunk, and gentle enough to pick up a single piece of straw.
Elephants use their trunks for almost everything. WWF says they use them to pick up objects, trumpet warnings, greet other elephants and suck up water to drink or to spray over themselves.
An elephant does not drink through its trunk like a straw. It sucks water up into the trunk, then squirts it into its mouth.
The tip of the trunk is different in each kind. The National Zoo says Asian elephants have one small finger-like tip at the end, while African elephants have two.
Tusks
Tusks are really giant front teeth, called incisors, made of ivory. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says they appear at about two to three years old and keep growing throughout an elephant’s life.
Elephants use their tusks to dig for water and food, lift and move things, strip bark from trees and defend themselves. WWF says that in a drought, elephants even dig holes with their tusks to find water underground.
Both male and female African elephants grow tusks. Among Asian elephants, only some males have large tusks.
Just as people are left-handed or right-handed, WWF says elephants can be left-tusked or right-tusked. The tusk they use more is usually the smaller one, because it wears down.
Big ears for keeping cool
African elephants have huge ears, shaped a bit like the continent of Africa. Asian elephants have much smaller, rounder ears.
Big ears help elephants stay cool. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance explains that in hot weather, blood flows through lots of blood vessels in the ears and cools down. Flapping the ears helps even more.
Elephants also cool off by bathing, spraying water and throwing dust or mud over their backs, which protects their skin from the sun.
Thick but sensitive skin
Elephant skin is up to 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick in places. But San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says it is very sensitive to touch, and it can get sunburnt.
The deep wrinkles in an elephant’s skin trap water and mud, which helps keep it cool and moist for longer.
Smell, sound and talking to each other
Elephants have a superb sense of smell. They lift their trunks to sniff the air for food, water and other elephants. They can also sense low rumbles through the ground with their sensitive feet and trunks.
They also talk to each other with sound. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says elephants make low rumbling calls that another elephant can hear up to 8 km (5 miles) away. They also trumpet, bellow, squeal, roar and bark.
Many of these rumbles are so low that people can barely hear them. The National Zoo says Asian elephants’ messages can be understood by other elephants more than 3 km (2 miles) away.
What do elephants eat?
Elephants are herbivores, which means they eat only plants. They eat grasses, leaves, bark, roots and fruit.
They eat an enormous amount. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says an elephant eats about 75 to 150 kg (165 to 330 pounds) of food a day and spends around 16 hours a day eating. WWF says an elephant can feed for up to 18 hours a day.
Elephants need lots of water too. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says its elephants drink 75 to 190 litres (20 to 50 gallons) a day.
Legs, feet and tails
An elephant’s legs are like thick pillars, strong enough to hold up its huge weight. Its feet have thick, spongy pads, which spread out as it walks and help it move quietly.
An elephant’s tail ends in a tuft of long, stiff hairs. Elephants swish their tails to keep flies and other insects away.
Asian and African elephants even have differently shaped backs. The National Zoo says Asian elephants have a level or dipped back, while an African elephant’s back curves upwards.
Life in a herd
Most elephants live in close family groups called herds. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says a herd is usually made up of related females and their young.
African herds are led by a matriarch, usually the oldest and most experienced female. She remembers where to find food and water, even in a drought, and she teaches the younger elephants.
The National Zoo says Asian elephants live in small herds of related females and their young, and do not have a matriarch in the same way.
WWF says male elephants leave the herd as they grow up. They then live alone or in small groups of other males.
Baby elephants
Elephants have the longest pregnancy of any mammal. WWF says it lasts about 22 months, almost two years.
A mother usually has one calf about once every four to five years. A newborn calf can stand about 1 m (3 feet) tall, and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says it gains 1 to 1.3 kg (2 to 3 pounds) a day in its first year.
Calves are looked after by the whole herd of related females. Aunts, sisters and cousins all help to protect and teach the young elephant.
Where do elephants live?
African savanna elephants live on the grasslands and in the woodlands of Africa, south of the Sahara. African forest elephants live in the rainforests of central and western Africa.
Asian elephants live in isolated pockets of India and South-East Asia, including the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, according to the National Zoo.
How long do elephants live?
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance gives a median life expectancy of 38 to 47 years. The National Zoo says Asian elephants typically live into their mid-50s.
Elephants in danger
All three kinds of elephant are in danger. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says Asian elephants and African savanna elephants are Endangered, and African forest elephants are Critically Endangered.
WWF says the greatest threat to African elephants is poaching for the illegal ivory trade. For Asian elephants, the biggest dangers are losing their homes and conflict with people.
The National Zoo estimates there are only 37,000 to 57,000 Asian elephants left. As forests are cleared for farms and palm oil plantations, elephants often raid crops, which brings them into conflict with farmers.
Adult elephants have few natural enemies, but young calves can be caught by big predators. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says lions sometimes hunt baby elephants. Read more in our lion facts.
Three things people get wrong
Not all elephants have big tusks. Only some male Asian elephants grow large tusks.
Elephants are not all the same kind. There are three species: African savanna, African forest and Asian.
An elephant’s trunk is not just a nose. It is a nose and upper lip joined together, used like a hand.
Did you know? Elephants can be left-tusked or right-tusked, just as people are left-handed or right-handed.
Try it
Pick up one sheet of paper, then a heavy book, using one hand. An elephant’s trunk can do both jobs: lift a tree trunk or pick up a single piece of straw.
Knowledge check
What are tusks?
Show answer
Giant front teeth, called incisors.
How do big ears help elephants?
Show answer
They help them cool down in hot weather.
Frequently asked questions
How many kinds of elephant are there?
There are three kinds of elephant: the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. The savanna elephant is the biggest.
How much does an elephant weigh?
Male African elephants weigh 5,400 to 6,800 kg (12,000 to 15,000 pounds). Asian elephants weigh 2,700 to 5,400 kg (6,000 to 12,000 pounds).
What do elephants eat?
Elephants are herbivores. They eat grasses, leaves, bark, roots and fruit, about 75 to 150 kg (165 to 330 pounds) of food a day.
What are elephant tusks for?
Tusks are giant front teeth. Elephants use them to dig for water and food, lift things, strip bark from trees and defend themselves.
How long is an elephant pregnant?
An elephant pregnancy lasts about 22 months, the longest of any mammal. The mother usually has one calf every four to five years.
Why are elephants endangered?
African elephants are threatened by poaching for ivory. Asian elephants are threatened mainly by losing their forests and by conflict with people.
Sources
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: elephant — species, size, record elephant, trunk, tusks, ears, skin, food, water, herds, calls, calves, lifespan and status
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo: Asian elephant — how Asian elephants differ, size, range, herds, calls, lifespan, population and threats
- WWF: elephant — trunk uses, tusks and tusk use, species, matriarchs, calves, feeding time and threats
