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What kind of tree do elephants in Africa like? How many years does an elephant live? Elephant: description, structure, characteristics

African elephant

AFRICAN ELEPHANT - a mammal of the elephant family of the order Proboscis, lives only in regions of Africa, the largest of modern land animals.

"Thick-skinned elephant" is not entirely true for these animals. The skin of elephants, with the exception of the back and sides where it can reach 2-3 centimeters, is very sensitive and especially sensitive to the sun.

This is why mother elephants often cover their babies with their shadow.

And also for the same reason, elephants cover themselves with mud.

There are two subspecies of African elephants: savannah or bush elephant - common in Eastern, Southern and partly Equatorial Africa and forest elephant - common in the tropical rain forests of Western and Equatorial Africa.

The weight of old males reaches 7.5 tons, and the height at the shoulders is 4 meters (on average, males weigh 5 tons, females - 3 tons). Despite its massive build, the elephant is amazingly agile, easy to move, and fast without haste.

The elephant swims beautifully, with only the forehead and the tip of the trunk remaining above the surface of the water.

No one has yet decided to claim that elephants’ trunks evolved to breathe underwater.

The ancestors of elephants led an aquatic lifestyle. Analysis of the tooth enamel of fossil representatives of proboscideans showed that they fed on aquatic plants.

The elephant overcomes the steep climb without any visible effort and feels free among the rocks.

An amazing sight - a herd of elephants in the forest. Absolutely silently, the animals literally cut through dense thickets: no crackling, no rustling, no movement of branches and foliage.

With an even, apparently unhurried step, the elephant overcomes enormous distances in search of food or, escaping from danger, covering tens of kilometers per night. No wonder it is considered useless to pursue a disturbed herd of elephants.

The African elephant inhabits a vast area south of the Sahara. In ancient times it was also found in North Africa, but has now completely disappeared from there.

Despite their wide distribution area, it is not easy to meet elephants: in large quantities they are now only available in national parks.

In many African countries where elephants were historically found, today there are no elephants at all.

The usual composition of an elephant herd is 9-12 old, young and very small animals. As a rule, there is a leader in the herd, most often an old elephant.

The elephant herd is a very close-knit community. The animals get to know each other well and work together to protect their young. There are cases when elephants provided assistance to their wounded brothers, leading them away from a dangerous place.

Fights between elephants are rare. Only animals suffering from some kind of pain, for example with a broken tusk, become uncooperative and irritable. Usually such elephants move away from the herd. It is true that it is not known whether they themselves prefer solitude or whether they are driven out by healthy companions.

An elephant with a broken tusk is also dangerous for people. No wonder the first commandment that visitors to national parks need to know is: “Do not leave your car! Don't cross the path of a herd of elephants! Do not approach lone elephants, especially those with a broken tusk!” And this is not without reason: the elephant is the only animal that can easily go on the attack and overturn a car. At one time, ivory hunters often died under the feet of wounded giants.

Apart from humans, the elephant has almost no enemies. The rhinoceros, the second giant of Africa, is in a hurry to give way to the elephant, and if it comes to a collision, it is always defeated.
Of the elephant's sense organs, smell and hearing are the most developed.

An alert elephant is an unforgettable sight: the huge sails of the ears are spread wide, the trunk is raised up and moves from side to side, trying to catch a breath of wind, there is both tension and threat in the whole figure.

An attacking elephant flattens its ears and hides its trunk behind its tusks, which the animal brings forward with a sharp movement.
The elephant's voice is a shrill, shrill sound, simultaneously reminiscent of a hoarse horn and the screeching of car brakes.

Reproduction in elephants is not associated with a specific season. Pregnancy lasts 22 months. Typically, females give birth to cubs once every 4 years.

A newborn elephant calf weighs about 100 kilograms and is about 1 meter tall; it has a short trunk and no tusks.

Until the age of five, he needs the constant supervision of a female elephant and cannot live independently.

Elephants mature at the age of 15 and live in the wild for 70 years.

The African elephant is one of the unluckiest animals. Its tusks, the so-called ivory, have long been valued at almost their weight in gold.

Until Europeans came to Africa with firearms, relatively few elephants were hunted - hunting was very difficult and dangerous. But the flow of lovers of easy money who flocked to Africa at the end of the last century changed the situation dramatically. Elephants were killed, their tusks were broken off, and huge corpses were left for hyenas and vultures. And tens, hundreds of thousands of these corpses rotted among the forests and savannas of Africa, and enterprising adventurers made great profits.
Both males and females of the African elephant are armed with tusks. The tusks of females are small, and the tusks of old males sometimes reached a length of 3-3.5 meters with a mass of about 100 kilograms each (the record pair of tusks had a length of 4.1 meters and a weight of 225 kilograms).

True, on average, each tusk yielded only about 6-7 kilograms of ivory, since hunters killed all the elephants in a row - males and females, young and old.

Huge quantities of ivory passed through the ports of Europe. By 1880, when the ivory trade reached its apogee, from 60,000 to 70,000 elephants were killed annually, but already in 1913 - 10,000 elephants, in 1920-1928 - 6,000.Elephants were becoming rare. First of all, they were killed in the savannahs. Elephants are best preserved in inaccessible swamps along the Upper Nile and Congo valleys, where the road to humans was closed by nature.About 50 years ago, uncontrolled hunting of elephants was officially stopped, a network of national parks was created, and the African elephant was preserved.

There is not much space left for him on earth - he can only feel calm in national parks. The reserve regime has had a beneficial effect on elephants. The number began to grow, and now there are about 250,000 elephants in Africa (perhaps even more than 100 years ago).

In parallel with the growth of the population, the concentration of animals in limited areas of the territory increased. For example, in the Kruger National Park in 1898 there were only 10 elephants, in 1931 - 135 elephants, in 1958 - 995 elephants, in 1964 -2374 elephants, currently several tens of thousands of elephants live there!

This overpopulation posed a new serious threat to elephants, and the “elephant problem” in national parks became the number one problem. The fact is that an adult elephant eats up to 100 kilograms of grass, fresh shoots of bushes or tree branches per day. It is estimated that vegetation from an area of about 5 square kilometers is needed to feed one elephant for a year.
When feeding, elephants often cut down trees to get to the upper branches, and often tear off the bark from the trunks.

However, in the past, herds of elephants migrated over many hundreds of kilometers, and vegetation damaged by elephants had time to recover.

Now the mobility of elephants is sharply limited, and they are forced to feed - on an elephant scale - “on a patch.”

Thus, in Tsavo Park (East Africa) there is only about 1 square kilometer for each elephant. And in Queen Eliza Bet National Park there are an average of 7 elephants, 40 hippos, 10 buffalo and 8 waterbuck per square mile (2.59 square kilometers). With such a load, the animals begin to starve, and in some places it is necessary to resort to artificial feeding (elephants receive oranges as an additional ration).

Many national parks are surrounded by wire fences, through which a weak current is passed, otherwise elephants can destroy the surrounding plantations.

All this points to the need to reduce the number of elephants. Therefore in last years Planned shooting of elephants has also begun in national parks.

The number of elephants is being reduced by destroying artificial reservoirs that were once specially built in the dry areas of some national parks. It is expected that the elephants, deprived of a watering hole, will leave the park. And they know the boundaries of the protected area very well and at the slightest alarm they rush beyond the saving line. Having stepped over it, they stop and look with curiosity at the unlucky pursuer.

The elephant is a very valuable animal in economic terms. In addition to the tusks, meat, skin, bones and even a tuft of coarse hair at the end of the tail are utilized.The meat is used for food by the local population in fresh and dried form.Bone meal is made from bones.

The ears are used to make tables of sorts, and the legs are used to make waste baskets or stools.Such “exotic” goods are in constant demand among tourists.Africans use the stiff, wire-like tail hairs to weave beautiful bracelets, which, according to local beliefs, bring good luck to the owner.Elephants attract tourists from other countries. No elephants African savannah I would lose half the charm.

Indeed, there is something attractive about elephants. Are the animals walking leisurely across the plain, cutting through the thick tall grass like ships; do they feed on the edge of the forest, among the bushes; whether they drink by the river, lined up in a straight line; whether they are resting motionless in the shade of trees - in their entire appearance, in their manner, one can feel deep calm, dignity, hidden power.

And you involuntarily become imbued with respect and sympathy for these giants, witnesses of bygone eras.
At the very beginning of the 20th century, work began on domesticating the African elephant in the Belgian Congo. The work continued for several decades and met with some success.

Elephants are unique animals in their anatomy and physiology. They are so different from all other mammals that they are separated into an independent order of Proboscis, which includes only 2 species. Much is known in fossil form more types extinct proboscideans, of which the most famous is the mammoth. Currently, only African and Indian elephants have survived.

African elephants (Loxodonta africana).

The appearance of these animals is as similar as elephants are different from all other animals. The first thing that catches your eye is the size. Elephants are truly giants of the animal world, the largest of all land creatures. The Indian elephant reaches a height of 2.5 m and a weight of 3-5 tons, the African elephant is even larger - its height reaches 4 m and its weight is 5-7 tons. The body of elephants is very massive, the head is relatively large, the legs are proportionally powerful and thick. The ears also reach considerable sizes, but the eyes, on the contrary, are very small. An elephant's range of vision is not very good, but its hearing is excellent. An elephant can hear thunder at a distance of up to 100 km! This hearing is explained by the fact that elephants are able to hear (and produce) infrasounds. Herds of elephants use these sounds to communicate over long distances, because low-frequency waves travel long distances. Elephants' ears are very mobile and the animals constantly wave them. On the one hand, the extensive surface of the ears, through which blood is pumped, helps cool the body (this is especially noticeable in the African elephant); on the other hand, the ears perform a communicative function. Elephants use movements of their ears to greet their fellow tribesmen and threaten their enemies.

In the midday heat, the elephant flaps its ears to cool down.

But the most unusual organ of an elephant is, of course, the trunk. The trunk is not a nose, as many people think, but a completely unique organ formed by the fused nose and upper lip. Moreover, the trunk has its own system of powerful muscles and tendons. Thanks to this structure, the trunk has both strength and flexibility. The power of the trunk is such that with its help the elephant is able to destroy trees and lift logs. At the end of the trunk there is a mobile and sensitive outgrowth, with the help of which the elephant is able to touch and manipulate the smallest objects. Elephants recognize the texture of various surfaces well; they can, for example, pick up coins or paint with a brush. The trunk plays an irreplaceable role in the life of an elephant: the animal needs it to obtain food, protect itself, and communicate.

Trunk hugs are a mandatory attribute of friendly relations.

Elephants also drink water with the help of their trunk, because a tall and short-necked elephant cannot drink with its mouth. Only baby elephants can suck their mothers with their mouths, while adult elephants suck in water with their trunks and then pour them into their mouths. Elephants, deprived of their trunks due to injury, try to graze on their knees, but eventually die.

The elephant's powerful body is covered with thick and rough skin. It is dotted with numerous deep wrinkles. Adult elephants are practically hairless, and newborn elephant calves are covered with sparse, stiff bristles. The color of elephants is uniform gray or brownish.

The elephant's skin is covered with sparse bristles.

With its size and build, the elephant gives the impression of a clumsy and noisy animal. When they want to emphasize a person’s awkwardness they say “like a bull in a china shop.” But this opinion is also wrong. The elephant moves almost silently. This effect is achieved thanks to the special structure of the sole; it springs when pressure is applied to the foot, and then takes on its original shape. By the way, the hind legs of an elephant, unlike other quadrupeds, bend forward.

An elephant's toes have tiny hooves.

But, as it turns out, elephants have another paradox in store. The fact is that the massive elephant skull contains relatively small size. It would seem that animals with such a brain structure should not be distinguished by intelligence, but elephants are one of the smartest mammals.

Elephants live in tropical zone. The African elephant's range extends along the equator and south to the Cape region. Once these animals inhabited the northern part of the continent, but with the expansion of the Sahara Desert they were forced to retreat to the south. Indian elephants live on the Hindustan Peninsula and Indochina. African elephant populations are found in both dense tropical forests and open savannas bordering semi-deserts. Indian elephants are exclusively forest dwellers. Both species of elephants lead a herd lifestyle. Elephant herds consist of females with young animals, led by an old, experienced elephant. Males always keep to themselves, joining the herd only during mating. Elephants maintain a sensitive relationship with each other. All members of the herd are related to each other family ties and old animals help young ones take care of their offspring. Elephants are also very attached to their mother and enjoy universal care. There are no fights between elephants except during the mating season, when males engage in fierce fights for the possession of a female.

African elephants during a mating fight.

In other cases, elephants show mutual assistance: they immediately respond to the alarming cry of their fellow tribesman, unanimously come to his defense and even help their wounded brothers. Elephants communicate using low uterine sounds, and in case of danger they emit a loud trumpet roar. Elephants have exceptional memory; they remember places of watering and feeding for many miles around, and recognize fellow tribesmen after a long separation. The high level of social connections in elephants is manifested in another phenomenon - elephants are able to recognize deceased brothers. When a herd of elephants comes across the skeleton of a dead animal, they stop and become quiet. Sometimes elephants touch the skeleton with their trunk and feel it; apparently, elephants are able to identify the “personality” of a dead brother.

Elephants eat plant foods- branches of trees and shrubs, leaves and fruits. An elephant eats up to 100 kg of food per day.

An African elephant breaks a tree to get to the foliage.

Elephants chew food with large molars, which change as they wear down. In search of food, they are helped by tusks - a pair of giant incisors protruding from the mouth. In African elephants, their size can reach 2-3 m; in the Indian elephant, tusks are shorter and only occur in males.

The male Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) has record tusks for its species. They had to be cut down because they stuck to the ground.

Elephants use their tusks as levers to uproot trees and also use them in battles for mates. African elephants use their tusks to strip the bark of baobab trees in search of juicy, loose wood. These animals also need to drink plenty of water and walk many kilometers to watering holes. By the way, elephants love to swim, pouring water on themselves from their trunk; they are excellent swimmers. A swimming elephant plunges headlong into the water, exposing only the tip of its trunk.

An Indian elephant swims underwater.

Although elephants prefer to move at a leisurely pace, they can run quickly, reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h.

Elephant mating is not confined to any specific season. During the mating season, males secrete a dark secretion from the parotid gland; at this time they are very aggressive and dangerous to others. An elephant's pregnancy lasts 20-22 months. She gives birth to one calf weighing 90-100 kg.

The baby elephant sucks milk with its mouth, not its trunk.

Elephants' nipples are not located in the groin, as in all four-legged animals, but between the front legs, as in primates. A baby elephant needs care until it is 5 years old, but even as an adult it remains attached to its mother and other relatives (grandmother, aunts). Often, when moving, elephant calves hold onto their mother's tail with their trunk. Elephants become adults at the age of 12-15 years, and live up to 60-70 years.

It would seem that the largest animal cannot have natural enemies. Indeed, adult elephants are practically invulnerable, although they sometimes conflict with rhinoceroses for a place at a watering hole. However, little elephant calves are defenseless against attacks by lions and crocodiles. Only these predators dare to attack elephants.

An elephant wanders along the road, accompanied by his little friends - buffalo herons. These birds often accompany elephants in the hope of profiting from insects scared away by the giant.

The main enemy of elephants remains man. People hunt elephants mainly for their tusks, a source of precious ivory. But the meat, skin, and bones of elephants are also used on the farm. For example, roast trunk is considered a delicacy. Due to barbaric hunting, African elephants were on the verge of extinction in many places. Numerous reserves were created to protect them, but even after that the situation of the elephants did not improve. The multiplying elephants, limited to the territory of the reserve, began to suffer from a lack of food and had to be hunted down again. In some cases, relocating elephants from places where there are many of them to areas where there are none helps. But elephant conservation is hampered by smugglers and political conflicts in African countries. Indian elephants are not hunted for their tusks, but their situation is even worse. Since Indian elephants live in the most densely populated region of the world, they are simply deprived of their natural habitats by people. Wild elephants are caught for the purpose of domestication, but in captivity these animals hardly reproduce. This is how the last individuals are removed from nature. Tame elephants are one of the most ancient domesticated animals. From time immemorial, they were used as draft power for plowing land, transporting people and goods, and for military purposes. Elephants can be trained to pick up and put down objects, attack on command, and simply perform various tricks. Unfortunately, the abilities of circus animals are developed using cruel methods. Domestic elephants are good-natured by nature and often suffer abuse from careless owners, but an elephant’s excellent memory can serve a person poorly. Remembering the grievances inflicted, elephants are prone to frustration (painful experiences and heightened emotions). Prolonged stress can lead to a nervous breakdown and then the elephant goes berserk. In this case, the animal completely goes out of control and attacks all living creatures within reach. In this case, only a bullet can stop the elephant. There are many cases of death of domestic elephants and people for this reason.

to the exemplary mutual assistance of elephants.

It's easy to guess that African elephant lives in Africa, almost throughout the continent. It is the largest land animal, reaching a weight of more than 3 tons. The African elephant is quite tall - 4 meters. This type of elephant has quite large and pronounced tusks. In males, the tusks are large - up to three meters; in females they do not reach even a meter. The trunk of elephants is formed by the fusion of the upper lip and nose. Elephants are herbivorous mammals, preferring grasses, leaves, and branches as food. Elephants live in families of several individuals (the number of individuals is approximately 10-15 in each group). Elephants are very friendly to each other, and peace reigns in their family. Adult elephants carefully guard young elephants, and when a baby is born, the whole family seems to rejoice. The female carries the cub for quite a long time - almost two years. Usually one baby elephant is born. After birth, the cub feeds on mother’s milk for 2 years and only after five years lives independently. Life expectancy of elephants: 50-60 years.

Indian elephant

Habitat: India, southeast Asia. It is slightly smaller than the African elephant. Compared to the African elephant, the Indian elephant has smaller ears and less pronounced tusks. Some females have no tusks at all. The elephant also feeds on grass and various fruits. By the way, all elephants feed with the help of their trunk: they take food with their trunk and put it in their mouth. They also drink using their trunk. The Indian elephant is more friendly towards people, so they are captured for circuses and zoos more often than African elephants. Now the population of Indian elephants has sharply declined.

How many species of elephants are there in the world?

African forest elephant

To date, only two species have survived in the elephant family (Familia Elephantidae Sgau): Indian elephants, which are found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, as well as on the Indochina Peninsula, and African elephants, which zoologists divide into those living in savannas (savanna elephants) and living in tropical forests (forest elephants).

African and Indian elephants differ in body structure
and disposition.

These differences are quite large, and when crossing two elephants different types there are no offspring.

The African elephant is taller than the Indian elephant, its ears are larger, its skin is rougher, its trunk is thinner, the tusks, which both males and females have, are more developed; The weight of males reaches 5 - 7.5 tons, females - 3 - 4 tons.

Indian male elephants weigh 4.5 - 5 tons, females - 3 - 4 tons; Females, as a rule, do not have tusks.

Both African and Indian elephants live in herds.

The basis of the herd is a family group of two to five, sometimes more, elephants related by family relationships (most often this is an old female elephant and her offspring of different generations).

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Origin of modern elephants

As is known, both species of elephants are descendants of Proboscidea - an ancient animal with a trunk. Elephants living today are descended from two different branches of ancestors that developed in parallel. Both of them developed when dinosaurs dominated the earth. It was then that Moeritheres, tapir-like animals, appeared on the territory of modern Egypt.

This happened in the Paleocene era (65 million years ago).

How many species of elephants live on earth?

The structure of the skull and the arrangement of the teeth of these proboscideans were almost the same as those of the modern elephant, and the four teeth were the harbingers of modern tusks. Another branch was represented by Deinotheriidae, animals that lived in Africa and Eurasia.

Being in favorable conditions content, all these animals over the next twenty-six million years spread throughout Africa and Eurasia, and over time, throughout North and South America. Different climatic conditions and habitats have led to the emergence of different species of proboscis.

They lived everywhere - from the polar ice cap to the desert, including the tundra, taiga, and forests, as well as savannah and swamps. All species, and there were more than three hundred of them, can be divided into four main classes.

Deinotherium lived in the Eocene era (58 million years ago) and was very similar to modern elephants. They were much smaller, had a shorter trunk, and two large tusks curled down and back. This class became extinct 2.5 million years ago.

Gomphotherium lived during the Oligocene era (37 million years ago).

They had an elephant's body, but a vestigial trunk. The teeth were similar to those of modern elephants, but there were also four small tusks, two of which were twisted up and two down. Some had wide, flat jaws that allowed them to scoop up swamp vegetation. Others had significantly smaller jaws, but more developed tusks. This species became extinct approximately 10,000 years ago.

From Gomphotherium in the Miocene-Pleistocene era (10-12 million years ago) Mamutidae (Mammutidae), often called mastodons, evolved.

These animals were almost the same as elephants, but had a more powerful body, long tusks and a long trunk. They also differed in the location of their teeth. The eyes of mastodons were much smaller, and there was dense hair on the body.

It is assumed that mastodons lived in forests until primitive people came to the continent (approximately 18,000 years ago).

Elephantids (Elephantidae) evolved from mastodons in the Pleistocene era (1.6 million years ago) and gave rise to the family Mammuthus, the closest family to prehistoric elephants, the huge woolly mammoths and two lineages of modern elephants: Elephas and Loxodonta. Mammuthus imperator, who lived in the southern part North America, was the largest mammoth: 4.5 meters (15 ft) at the withers.

The northern woolly mammoth, Mammus primigehius, lived in northern North America and Eurasia. Its numbers were enormous.

This species is the most studied, as several whole frozen individuals have been found, which are still stored in this form to this day.

Woolly mammoths were slightly larger than modern elephants and protected themselves from the cold with long, dense, reddish fur and a 76 millimeter (3 in) thick layer of fat under their skin.

Their long tusks were curled downwards, forwards and inwards and served to tear apart the snow covering the vegetation. The African and Indian elephant is all that remains today of their many ancestors.

Information sent by: Malyakina Z. E. MGAVMiB im. K.I. Scriabin.

Types of elephants

Of these two species, African elephants are further divided into two species (savannah and forest), while Asian elephants are divided into four species (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumartan and Borneo).

Elephants, like people, are capable of change, and change depending on their character, emotions and personal qualities ( individual characteristics). Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years - they have been domesticated and are now used as vehicle in difficult terrain, for carrying heavy objects such as logs, and at festivals and the circus.

Currently, the Indian elephant is the largest, with longer front legs and a slimmer body than its Thai counterparts. We will dwell in more detail on Thai elephants, although of course these characteristics apply to all types of Asian Elephants. Let's pay attention to some small details. Using our own experience and taking into account information from numerous other sources, we will tell you our own interpretation.

Asian elephants

About half of them are domesticated, the rest live in wildlife in National parks and reserves. Around 300 are suffering in Bangkok's deplorable conditions. It is known that in the early 20th century (1900 AD) more than 100,000 elephants lived in the Siamese (Thai) countryside. Asian elephants are smaller than African ones.

How many species of elephants are there in the world?

They have smaller ears, and only males have tusks.

The first species is the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). They live on the island of Sri Lanka. A large male can reach 5,400 kg (12,000 lb) and be over 3.4 m (11 ft) tall. Sri Lankan males have very convex skulls.

Their head, trunk and belly are usually bright pink.

Another species, the Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) makes up the majority of the Asian elephant population. There are about 36,000 of them, they are light gray, with depigmentation only on the ears and trunk. A large male averages only 5,000 kg (11,000 lb), but they are still as tall as the Sri Lankan.

Indian elephants are found in eleven Asian countries, from India to Indonesia. They prefer forests and areas between forests and fields where a greater variety of food is available to them.

The smallest group of elephants is the Sumartan elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus). There are only 2100 - 3000 individuals. They are a very light gray color with pink only on the ears. A mature Sumartan elephant reaches only 1.7-2.6 m (5.6-8.5 ft) in height and weighs less than 3,000 kg (6,600 lb).

Although it is, of course, a huge animal in any case, the Sumartan elephant is nevertheless much smaller than any other Asian (and African) and exists only on the island of Sumatra, usually in forests and groves.

In 2003, another species of elephant was discovered on the island of Borneo. They were called Borneo Dwarf Elephants, they are smaller and calmer, more docile than other Asian elephants.

They have relatively large ears, a longer tail, and straighter fangs.

African elephants

Elephants of the genus Loxodonta, known as African elephants, are currently found in 37 countries in Africa. The African elephant is the largest living land animal. It is characterized by a massive heavy body, big head on a short neck, thick limbs, huge ears and a long muscular trunk.

The most striking difference from Asian ones is the ears. Africans have them much larger and are shaped like the continent of their origin.

Both male and female African elephants have tusks and are typically less hairy than their Asian counterparts. Tusks grow throughout an elephant's life and serve as an indicator of its age. Historically, African elephants have been observed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, the area where elephants live has been greatly reduced. The African elephant has become completely extinct in Burundi, Gambia and Mauritania; some species have survived further north, in Mali. Despite their wide distribution area, elephants are mainly concentrated in national parks and reserves.

Traditionally, there are two species of African elephants, namely the Savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) and the Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis).

The African savannah elephant is the largest of all elephants. In fact, it is the largest animal on Earth in the world, reaching 4 m (13 ft) in height and weighing approximately 7,000 kg (7.7 tons).

Average male- about 3 m (10 ft) tall and 5500-6000 kg (6.1-6.6 tons) in weight, the female is much smaller. Most often, Savannah elephants are found in open fields, swamps, and on the shores of lakes.

They mainly live in the savannah and migrate south from the Sahara Desert.

Compared to the Savannah Elephant, the African Forest Elephant's ears are typically smaller and more prominent. round shape, the tusks are thinner and straighter. The forest elephant weighs up to 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) and reaches a height of 3 m (10 ft). Much less is known about these animals than about their savannah counterparts; emerging political differences and the habitat conditions of African forest elephants prevent their study.

Typically, they inhabit the impenetrable tropical forests of central and western Africa. The largest populations of Forest Elephants are currently found in South and East Africa.

There are two species of elephant - the African elephant (genus: Loxodonta) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). They are different, but there are still some striking differences. African elephants number approximately 500,000, while the number of Asian elephants is declining dramatically, with less than 30,000 remaining.

Of these two species, African elephants are further divided into two species (savannah and forest), while Asian elephants are divided into four species (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumartan and Borneo). Elephants, like people, are capable of change, and change depending on their character, emotions and personal qualities (individual characteristics).

Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years - they have been domesticated and are now used for transportation in difficult terrain, for carrying heavy objects such as logs, and at festivals and in the circus. Currently, the Indian elephant is the largest, with longer front legs and a slimmer body than its Thai counterparts. We will dwell in more detail on Thai elephants, although of course these characteristics apply to all types of Asian Elephants.

Let's pay attention to some small details. Using our own experience and taking into account information from numerous other sources, we will tell you our own interpretation.

Asian elephants

They are officially considered an endangered species; in Thailand their numbers reach only 3,000-4,000.

About half of them are domesticated, the rest live in the wild in National Parks and Reserves. Around 300 are suffering in Bangkok's deplorable conditions. It is known that in the early 20th century (1900 AD) more than 100,000 elephants lived in the Siamese (Thai) countryside.

Asian elephants are smaller than African ones. They have smaller ears, and only males have tusks.

The first species is the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). They live on the island of Sri Lanka. A large male can reach 5,400 kg (12,000 lb) and be over 3.4 m (11 ft) tall.

Sri Lankan males have very convex skulls. Their head, trunk and belly are usually bright pink.

Another species, the Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) makes up the majority of the Asian elephant population.

There are about 36,000 of them, they are light gray, with depigmentation only on the ears and trunk. A large male averages only 5,000 kg (11,000 lb), but they are still as tall as the Sri Lankan. Indian elephants are found in eleven Asian countries, from India to Indonesia.

They prefer forests and areas between forests and fields where a greater variety of food is available to them.

The smallest group of elephants is the Sumartan elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus).

There are only 2100 - 3000 individuals.

Elephant - description, species, where it lives

They are a very light gray color with pink only on the ears. A mature Sumartan elephant reaches only 1.7-2.6 m (5.6-8.5 ft) in height and weighs less than 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Although it is, of course, a huge animal in any case, the Sumartan elephant is nevertheless much smaller than any other Asian (and African) and exists only on the island of Sumatra, usually in forests and groves.

In 2003, another species of elephant was discovered on the island of Borneo.

They were called Borneo Dwarf Elephants, they are smaller and calmer, more docile than other Asian elephants. They have relatively large ears, a longer tail, and straighter fangs.

African elephants

Elephants of the genus Loxodonta, known as African elephants, are currently found in 37 countries in Africa.

The African elephant is the largest living land animal. It is characterized by a massive, heavy body, a large head on a short neck, thick limbs, huge ears and a long, muscular trunk.

The most striking difference from Asian ones is the ears. Africans have them much larger and are shaped like the continent of their origin. Both male and female African elephants have tusks and are typically less hairy than their Asian counterparts. Tusks grow throughout an elephant's life and serve as an indicator of its age.

Historically, African elephants have been observed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, the area where elephants live has been greatly reduced. The African elephant has become completely extinct in Burundi, Gambia and Mauritania; some species have survived further north, in Mali. Despite their wide distribution area, elephants are mainly concentrated in national parks and reserves. Traditionally, there are two species of African elephants, namely the Savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) and the Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis).

The African savannah elephant is the largest of all elephants. In fact, it is the largest animal on Earth in the world, reaching 4 m (13 ft) in height and weighing approximately 7,000 kg (7.7 tons). The average male is about 3 m (10 ft) tall and weighs 5500-6000 kg (6.1-6.6 tons), the female is much smaller. Most often, Savannah elephants are found in open fields, swamps, and on the shores of lakes. They mainly live in the savannah and migrate south from the Sahara Desert.

Compared to the Savannah Elephant, the ears of the African Forest Elephant are usually smaller and more rounded, and the tusks are thinner and straighter.

The forest elephant weighs up to 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) and reaches a height of 3 m (10 ft). Much less is known about these animals than about their savannah counterparts; emerging political differences and the habitat conditions of African forest elephants prevent their study. Typically, they inhabit the impenetrable tropical forests of central and western Africa.

The largest populations of Forest Elephants are currently found in Southern and Eastern Africa.

. African elephant
. Indian elephant
. The fate of elephants in Africa
. About Indian elephants
. Indian working elephants
. African savannah elephant
. What is an Indian elephant?
. What is an African elephant?
. Origin of modern elephants
. Andrey Kornilov and circus elephants
. Did the mammoth hunt or warming influence the disappearance of the animal?
. forest elephant
. The smallest elephant

Body: The color varies from brown to dark gray, the hair of elephants is long, coarse, and sparsely covers the body. Elephants have thick skin that protects them from the cold.

Elephant - brief description, breeding process, interesting facts (89 photos + video)

The elephant also has four thick legs to support their enormous weight.

Vision: Elephants are quite nearsighted, able to see clearly only at very close distances, up to approximately 10 meters.

Hearing: Excellent hearing by human standards. Big ears act as amplifiers and warn of possible dangers.

Smell: A well-developed sense of smell surpasses that of any other mammal on Earth.

Touch: An amazing sense of balance is a consequence of an excellent sense of touch.

The elephant's trunk, an incredibly versatile organ, plays a large role in this ability. You will find a more detailed description of the elephant's trunk on this page.

Taste: Like all highly developed animals, food is sufficient and the elephant can easily distinguish between good, bad and favorite food.

Teeth and tusks: Male Asian African elephants have large tusks - up to 1.5 - 1.8 m in length, while females have no tusks at all.

African elephants have long tusks in both sexes. Newborn elephants have tusks that are only 2 inches long. And only when they reach two years of age do the tusks begin to grow. In fact, tusks are the teeth of elephants. The only creature that also has tusks is the walrus. Elephants need tusks to dig the ground for food, remove garbage, fight, and carry loads weighing up to 1 ton, such as timber.

The molars (chewing teeth) are at least 30 cm (1 ft) long and weigh approximately 4 kg (8.8 lbs). Elephants have only four of these teeth. When new molars form, they completely displace the old ones. During its life, an elephant usually replaces its molars six times; the last ones grow in at about 40 years of age. When, around the age of 70, they break down, it becomes difficult for the elephant to eat, and subsequently, many of the elephants die of starvation.

Tusks never stop growing.

Legs: An elephant's legs are large, straight pillar-like supports because they must support all of its enormous weight.

Therefore, the elephant does not need developed muscles to stand, since it has straight legs and soft pads on its feet. Thus, an elephant can stand on its feet for a very long time without getting tired. In fact, African elephants rarely lie down unless they are tired or sick.

Indian elephants, on the contrary, lie down often.

An elephant's feet are almost circular in shape. The African elephant has three claws on its hind legs and four on its front legs. The Indians have four on the back and five on the front.

The peculiar structure of the soles (a special springy mass located under the skin) makes the gait of elephants almost silent.

Under the weight of the elephant, the bulges of the sole increase, and when the weight decreases, they also deflate. Thanks to this, the elephant can plunge deep into the mud and move through swampy terrain: when the animal stretches its leg out of the quagmire, the sole takes the shape of a cone narrowing downwards; when stepping, the sole flattens under the weight of the body, increasing the area of support.

Elephants are good swimmers, but they cannot walk fast, jump, or gallop.

They can walk only in two ways: normal walking, and a faster one, similar to running. When walking, the legs act like pendulums, the hips and shoulders rise and fall while the feet remain on the ground. Thus, elephants always have at least one foot on the ground.

When walking quickly, an elephant has three feet on the ground at the same time. When walking at a normal pace, an elephant's speed is approximately 3 to 6 km/h (2 to 4 mph), but can reach a maximum of 40 km/h (24 mph).

. Features of elephants
. general characteristics elephants
. Anatomy of an elephant
. Why does an elephant need a trunk and tusks?
. Sensitive Organs
. elephant body
. Reproductive system of a female elephant
. Male reproductive system
. Elephant digestive system
. How many fingers does an elephant have?
. Elephants mating
. Elephant feet

Elephants (Elephantidae)- huge, strong, intelligent and sociable mammals. For many centuries, humanity has been amazed by their size - males of the African species can reach 7,500 kilograms. Elephants surprise with their long and flexible noses, large and flapping ears, and loose and wrinkled skin. They are among the most famous animals in the world. There are many stories and films about elephants - you've probably heard about Horton, King Babar and baby Dumbo.

Appearance

Ears

Elephants' ears, in addition to their intended purpose, also act as an air conditioner. In hot weather, elephants wave them, and thereby cool the blood in the ears, which, thanks to numerous blood vessels, cools the entire body of the animal.

Leather

The term "pachyderm" comes from the Greek word "pachydermos", meaning "thick skin". The thickness of the skin on some parts of the body can reach 2.54 cm. The skin does not fit tightly to the body, which creates the appearance of baggy pants. The benefit of thick skin is to retain moisture because evaporation time increases and the body stays cooler longer. Despite the thickness of their skin, elephants are very sensitive to touch and sunburn. To protect themselves from blood-sucking insects and the sun, they often pour water on themselves and also roll in the mud.

Tusks and teeth

An elephant's tusks are located on the upper jaw and serve as the only incisors. They are used for protection, obtaining food, and also for lifting objects. Tusks are present at birth and are baby teeth that fall out after a year when they reach a length of 5 cm. Permanent tusks emerge from the lips after 2-3 years and grow throughout life. The tusks are made of ivory (dentine), with an outer layer of enamel, and the distinctive shape creates a special shine that distinguishes the tusks of elephants from other mammals such as warthogs, walruses and sperm whales. African elephants often die at the hands of poachers simply because of their tusks.

Elephants also have molars, located on both jaws on both sides. One molar can weigh about 2.3 kilograms and be the size of a brick. Each elephant changes up to 6 sets of teeth during its life. New teeth do not grow vertically, as in most mammals, but climb from behind, while old and worn ones are pushed forward. In old age, elephants' molars are sensitive and worn down, so they prefer to eat softer food. In this case, swamps are ideal places for soft vegetation to grow. In such areas you can often find old individuals that remain there until their death. This fact has led some people to believe that elephants go to special places to die.

Trunk

The elephant's trunk simultaneously acts as its upper lip and nose. There are 8 large muscles on each side of the trunk, and along its entire length there are about 150,000 muscle bundles (muscle lobes). This unique appendage lacks bone and cartilage. He is so strong that he can pull down a tree trunk and so agile that he can pick up only one straw. Elephants use their trunks like we use our hands: grasping, holding, lifting, touching, pulling, pushing and throwing.

The trunk also serves as the nose. It has two nostrils to suck air through the long nasal passages into the lungs. Elephants use their trunk to drink, but the water does not go all the way to the nose like a straw, instead, it lingers in the trunk and then the elephant lifts its head and pours the water into its mouth.

Habitat

Asian elephants live in Nepal, India and parts of Southeast Asia. The main habitat is low-growing and tropical forests. During dry months they are often found near river banks.

African bush elephants (savanna elephants) live in eastern, central and southern parts Africa, prefer lowland and mountain forests, floodplains, all types of wooded areas and savannas. Forest elephants are found in the Congo Basin and western Africa, in moist, semi-deciduous tropical forests.

The largest elephant

The record itself big elephant received an adult male African elephant. He weighed about 12,240 kilograms and stood 3.96 meters tall at the shoulders. Most animals do not grow to this size, but African savannah elephants are much larger in size than Asian ones.

Big appetite

The elephant's diet includes all types of vegetation, from grass and fruit to leaves and bark. Every day these huge animals consume 75-50 kilograms of food, which is 4-6% of their body weight. On average, they spend up to 16 hours a day eating. Savannah elephants are herbivores and feed on grass, including sedges, flowering plants, and leaves of bushes. Forest elephants prefer leaves, fruits, seeds, twigs and bark. Asian elephants have a mixed diet, during dry periods and after heavy rains They eat bushes and small trees, and after the first part of the rainy season they can eat grass. Asian elephants can also eat different kinds plants depending on the season, branches and bark.

Life in the herd

Elephants live in cramped conditions social groups, which are called herds, usually consist of females and their offspring. The main leader of the herd is the most experienced and mature female, so matriarchy reigns in the elephant family. The leader of the herd remembers how to find the way to food and water, while avoiding predators, and knows best places for shelter. Also, the main female has the right to teach younger individuals the rules of behavior in society. In some cases, the group may consist of one of the main leader's sisters and her offspring. When the number of individuals in a group becomes large, a new herd is formed, and they can maintain free communication with other associations.

Adult males do not usually live in a herd. After gaining independence from their mother, males leave the herd and live alone or with other bachelors. Males can visit a herd of females only for a short time, for reproduction. They do not participate in raising their offspring.

Etiquette is an important component of elephant society. The trunk may be extended to another elephant as a greeting, to show affection, to hug, during wrestling, and to check reproductive status.

Offspring

At birth, a baby elephant is about a meter tall and weighs 55-120 kg. As a rule, babies are born with hair, a short trunk and are directly dependent on the mother and other members of the herd. They do not need a trunk, since milk from the mother goes into the mouth. Baby elephants try to stay as close as possible to their mother or another nursing female. During the first year of life, on average, they gain 1-1.3 kilograms of weight per day. If the baby is in distress, other members of the herd often come to his aid.

Despite prolonged gestation and protection, elephant calves need to gradually move up the social levels of the herd and establish their position in it. The cubs spend their days learning to walk on four legs in one direction, trying to cope with huge ears and mastering the work of their trunks. At first they are very clumsy, but all the time they learn to control their body. Upon reaching 2-3 years of age, elephant calves stop feeding on their mother's milk.

Enemies

What animals pose a threat to elephants? Not many! Baby elephants can become potential food for hyenas, lions, leopards or crocodiles, but as long as they are close to their mother, there is no need to worry. If the elephant senses approaching danger, it makes a loud sound (alarm) to warn others. To combat a potential predator, the herd forms a protective ring of adults, with the babies in the middle. For an adult elephant, the main enemy is a poacher with a rifle.

Sounds

Elephants make many different sounds, but human ears cannot detect some of them because they are low-frequency. Elephants use these sounds to communicate with each other over long distances. Have you ever had your stomach growl at the most inopportune moment? For the elephant community, this is a welcome sound that signals to other elephants that “everything is okay.”

Kinds

There are two kinds of elephants: African and Asian. The African genus is divided into two species: the savannah elephant and the forest elephant, while the Asian or Indian elephant is the only surviving species of its genus. Discussions are still ongoing about how many elephants there actually are and what types of elephants there are. More information about African and Asian elephants is written below.

African elephant

Security status: Vulnerable.

African elephants are the world's largest land animals. Their trunk is an extension of the upper lip and nose and is used for communication with other individuals, handling objects and for eating. African elephants, unlike Asian ones, have two branches at the end of their trunk. Tusks, which grow throughout life, are observed in both males and females, and are used in fighting, for digging, and also for food. Another notable feature of African elephants is their huge ears, which help cool their huge bodies.

Today there are two types of African elephants:

Savannah or bush elephant (Loxodonta africana);

forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).

The savannah species is larger than the forest species and has tusks curved outward. At the same time, the forest elephant is darker in color with straight, downward-pointing tusks. There are also differences in the size and shape of the skull and skeleton.

Social structure

The social structure of elephants is organized around a herd consisting of related females and their offspring. In the savanna elephant, each family unit includes about 10 individuals, although there are also associations of these family units - “clans”, which can number 70 individuals. Elephants forest type live in small family units. Herds can form temporary aggregations of elephants, numbering around 1,000 individuals, mainly in East Africa. These associations arise during periods of drought, due to human intervention or any other changes that worsen standard model existence. When threatened, elephants create a ring around the young and the matriarch (the main female), which can be attacked. Young elephants stay with their mother for many years and also receive care from other females in the herd.

Life cycle

As a rule, a female gives birth to one cub, once every 2.5-9 years, at the beginning of the rainy season. Pregnancy lasts 22 months. The Cubs are on breastfeeding 6-18 months, although there are cases of feeding up to 6 years. Males leave the female after mating and typically form alliances with other males. The lifespan of African elephants can be 70 years. The fertile age of females begins at 25 years and lasts up to 45 years. Males need to reach 20 years of age to successfully compete for a female with other males.

Diet

African elephants prefer to eat leaves, branches of bushes and trees, but can eat grass, fruits and bark.

Historical habitat and population size

The African elephant's habitat ranged across most of Africa, from the Mediterranean coast to the south of the continent. Scientists believe that between the 1930s and 1940s, there were more than 3-5 million African elephants. However, as a result of intensive hunting for trophies and tusks, the species' population began to decline significantly from the 1950s. It is estimated that 100,000 individuals were killed in the 1980s, and in some regions, up to 80% of elephants died. In Kenya, the population fell by 85% between 1973 and 1989.

Current population size and distribution

The forest species is distributed in the tropical forest zone in western and central Africa, where relatively large areas are present dense forest. The savannah elephant lives in eastern and southern Africa. Most of the species is concentrated in Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia and South Africa.

A significant number of elephants are deprived of well-protected areas - less than 20% are protected. In most West African countries, population estimates are made of only hundreds or dozens of individuals living in small groups in isolated forests. Unlike the west of the continent, the elephant population in the south is larger and is gradually increasing - more than 300,000 elephants now wander between subregions.

Threats

Elephants continue to roam throughout Africa. But these magnificent animals are endangered due to poaching and habitat loss. Elephant populations across Africa are in varying states, some are in great danger of extinction, while others are safe. South Africa has become the main support for elephants; on its territory, the number of individuals is gradually increasing.

Significant elephant populations are separated from well-protected areas that support only a small number of animals. The African elephant is threatened by illegal hunting for meat and ivory, loss of habitat, and conflicts with humans. Most countries do not have sufficient capacity to protect the African elephant. Without conservation action in some parts of Africa within 50 years, elephants could become extinct.

In the early 1970s, the demand for ivory increased and the amount of ivory exported from Africa reached critical levels. Most of the goods leaving Africa were considered illegal, with about 80% being raw meat from slaughtered elephants. This illegal trade has been a driving factor in the decline of the African elephant population from 3-5 million to its current level.

In 1989, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora banned international trade in ivory to combat massive illegal trade. After the ban took effect, some of the major ivory markets were eliminated in 1990. As a result, illegal killings have fallen sharply in some African countries, especially in places where elephants were not adequately protected. This fact allowed the African elephant population to recover.

However, in countries where conservation authorities receive insufficient funding to combat poaching, the problem becomes significant. Uncontrolled domestic ivory markets in a number of countries continue to grow. In addition, increasing land use pressure on the elephant population, budget cuts for conservation agencies, and ongoing poaching for elephant bones and meat have kept the illegal killing of elephants prevalent in some regions.

The uneven distribution of the population has created controversy over the conservation of the African elephant. Some people, mostly residents southern countries where elephant numbers are increasing, it is believed that legal enforcement and control of the ivory trade could bring significant economic benefits without jeopardizing the conservation of the species. Others oppose it because corruption and lack of law enforcement will make it impossible to control smart trade. Therefore, the illegal ivory trade remains a real threat to the African elephant, and conservation is considered a priority.

As the elephant's habitat extends beyond protected areas, rapid human population growth and expansion of agricultural land are increasingly reducing elephant habitat. In this regard, a conflict arises between man and elephant. Farm boundaries do not allow elephants to pass through migration corridors. The consequence is the destruction or damage of crops and small villages. The inevitable loss occurs on both sides, since people lose their means of existence because of elephants, and elephants lose their habitats, for which they often lose their lives. Human populations continue to grow throughout elephant territory, threatening habitat loss as a major threat.

The more we learn about elephants, the greater the need for their conservation. The current generation needs to be inspired to help preserve these beautiful wildlife for our future generations.

Asian elephant

Conservation status: Endangered species.
Listed in the Red Book International Union nature conservation

Worshiped for centuries, the sacred Asian elephant is still used for ceremonial and religious purposes. It is revered not only for its role in Asian culture, but also for being one of the key species in the Asian rainforest. Although there are thousands of domesticated elephant populations in Southeast Asia, this magnificent animal is at risk of extinction in the wild due to rapidly growing human populations displacing elephants from their habitat.

Wild elephant populations are small and because ancient migration routes are cut off by human settlements, they are unable to reunite with other elephant groups. Clashes between elephants and humans often result in death on both sides. Today, widespread problems are: illegal poaching, trade in ivory, meat and skins.

Description

The Asian elephant is considered the largest land mammal in Asia. It has relatively small ears, a single finger-like process at the end of the trunk, while the African elephant has two processes. A significant number of males asian elephant there are no tusks, and the percentage of males having them depends on the region - about 5% in Sri Lanka and up to 90% in southern India. Asian elephants constantly keep their ears moving to cool their bodies. They have well-developed hearing, vision, smell, and are also excellent swimmers. Dimensions: body length is 550-640 cm, height at the shoulders is 250-300 cm, weight is about 5000 kg. Color: Varies from dark gray to brown, with splashes of pink on the forehead, ears, chest and base of the trunk.

Social structure

Asian elephants have a tight social structure. Females unite in groups of 6-7 related individuals, headed by “matriarch” females. As with African elephants, some groups may join others to form large herds that are relatively short-lived.

Life cycle

Observers report that Asian elephant calves can stand on their feet immediately after birth and begin feeding on grass and leaves within a few months. Babies remain under the care of their mother for several years, and begin to move independently after 4 years. At the age of 17, elephants reach their final size. Both sexes become sexually mature at the age of 9 years, but males usually do not become sexually active until 14-15 years of age, and even at this age they are not capable of social dominance, which is a necessary component of successful reproductive activity.

Reproduction

In favorable living conditions, a female can give birth to cubs every 2.5-4 years, otherwise this happens every 5-8 years.

Diet

Elephants spend more than two-thirds of the day feeding on grass, tree bark, roots, leaves and small stems. Crops such as bananas, rice and sugarcane are the preferred foods. Asian elephants need to drink at least once a day, so they are always near sources of fresh water.

Population and distribution

Their original range ranged from modern-day Iraq and Syria to China's Yellow River, the Yellow River, but they are now found only from India to Vietnam, with a tiny population settled in southwest China's Yunnan province. It is estimated that more than 100,000 Asian elephants existed in the early 20th century. And over the past 60-75 years, the population has decreased by at least 50%.

Threats

The ever-growing human population of tropical Asia has encroached upon the dense but shrinking forest environment elephant habitat. About 20% of the world's population lives in or near the range of the Asian elephant. Competition for living space has led to significant loss of forest cover, as well as a decline in the Asian elephant population, estimated at 25,600 to 32,750 in the wild.

Asian elephant populations are increasingly fragmented, resulting in a significantly reduced chance of survival as, in the face of a growing human population, development projects are created based on the construction of dams, roads, mines, industrial complexes, settlements. Most national parks and sanctuaries where elephants live are too small to accommodate all viable populations. Conversion of forest land to agricultural land leads to serious human-elephant conflicts. Elephants kill up to 300 people in India every year.

Among Asian elephants, only males have tusks and are therefore targeted for poaching. The killing of elephants for ivory and meat remains a serious problem in many countries, especially in southern India (where 90% of elephants are potential victims) and in northeastern India, where some people eat elephant meat. From 1995 to 1996, covert poaching of Asian elephant bones and meat increased. Illegal trade across the Thailand-Myanmar border in live elephants, their bones, and skins has also become a major conservation problem. In 1997, seven years after the ivory trade was banned, illegal sales remained in the Far East, with South Korea, China and Taiwan remaining the main markets. However, most of this illegal production came from Africa rather than Asian elephants.

Confinement of wild elephants for domestic confinement has become a threat to wild populations, whose numbers have declined significantly. The governments of India, Vietnam and Myanmar have banned capture in order to preserve wild herds, but in Myanmar, elephants are captured every year for use in the timber industry or illegal trade. Unfortunately, crude fishing methods have led to high mortality rates. Efforts are being made not only to improve safety, but also to breed elephants in captivity. Given that almost 30% of elephants live in captivity, it is necessary to increase their numbers by reintroducing individuals into the wild.

Elephant facts

Lifespan: about 30 years in the wild and about 50 years in captivity.
Pregnancy: 20 to 22 months.
Number of cubs at birth: 1.
Sexual maturity is 13-20 years.
Size: Females average 2.4 meters in height to the shoulders, and males - 3-3.2 meters.
Weight: The female African elephant weighs up to 3600 kg, and the male - 6800 kg. A female Asian elephant weighs on average 2,720 kg, while a male weighs 5,400 kg.
Birth weight: 55-120 kg.
Height at birth: 66-107 centimeters to the shoulders.
An elephant's skin is so sensitive that the animal can feel the touch of a fly.
The low, loud calls of one elephant can be heard by others up to 8 kilometers away.
Elephants suffer from hunting for their tusks, which are made of dentin, just like our teeth.
In the Andaman Islands (India), elephants swim in the sea between the islands.
An elephant's skull weighs about 52 kilograms.
Elephants mainly use one of their tusks. Therefore, often one is more worn than the other.
The modern elephant is only mammal, which can remain significantly below the surface of the water, while the trunk is used as a breathing tube.
Frequent bathing and dousing with water, as well as mud baths, are an important part of skin care.
Unlike other mammals, elephants grow throughout their lives.
Are elephants afraid of mice? Most likely, they are irritated by small animals, so they try to scare or crush them.
Elephants can remember good and bad things. Especially in zoos, they can remember people who did something good for them or vice versa.
Elephants sleep in a lying position for several hours, and, as zoo staff have noted, they can even snore.
The African elephant, weighing about 6,300 kilograms, is capable of carrying up to 9,000 kilograms.

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The African savanna elephant is a representative of the order Proboscis, the elephant family. Exactly this large mammal our time. The Latin name of the species is Loxodonta africana. Let's get to know this amazing animal better.

The African elephant now has a limited distribution area - the southern and western parts of the African continent after the Sahara Desert. Previously, this giant inhabited North Africa, but subsequently became extinct.

Where does the elephant live

Now the animals have a discontinuous range, especially in the western part of the continent and are mainly concentrated in national parks and other protected areas. The number of the species is declining, now the animals are completely extinct in the Gambia, Burundi, Mauritania, and the total area of settlement has decreased almost 6 times: from 30 to just over 5 million km 2.

You can most often find an elephant in the savannas, in the following African countries:

The giant tries to avoid arid deserts and impenetrable tropical forests.

Description of appearance

The following distinctive features will help you recognize a savannah elephant:

A heavy, massive body about 7–7.5 meters long, 2.5–3.5 meters high (the highest point of the body).
Average weight: male about 5 tons, female - 2.7 tons.
Short neck.
Big head.
Barrel-shaped limbs.
The ears are of impressive size, up to 1.5 m long.
Wrinkled skin up to 4 cm thick, dark gray in color.
In young elephants, one can observe hair on the body, which is gradually wiped off; in old elephants, only a black tassel on the tail remains.
The tail is more than a meter long, the number of caudal vertebrae is up to 26.
There are 5 hooves on the hind limbs, and 4–5 on the front limbs.
Under the skin of the sole there is a springy mass, a kind of fat pad, which makes the giant’s gait almost silent and allows him to move through swampy lowlands.
Powerful tusks. The older the animal, the longer they are. An adult animal can reach 2.5 meters in length and weigh 60 kg.
A brush of coarse hair at the tip of the tail helps the animal ward off intrusive insects.
Large molars. Each size is about 30 cm, weight is more than 3.5 kg. However, with age they wear out, and by the age of 70 they can no longer chew food, so the animal dies of exhaustion.
Average duration The lifespan of an African elephant is about 70 years.

The trunk is long and muscular, about one and a half meters long and weighing more than 130 kg. Represents fused upper lip and nose, and ends in two processes, ventral and dorsal. It is a very mobile and strong organ due to a complex system of tendons and muscles. Here are a few more numbers:

Giant ears are an adaptation for survival in arid climates. They not only play the role of a fan, but also due to impressive area and excellent blood supply give the animal the opportunity to get rid of excess heat.

Like human fingerprints, the pattern of veins on the surface of the ears is unique and can be used to identify an animal.

The skin of African elephants is very sensitive to scorching sun rays and insect bites, so the animals have to constantly take dust and mud baths to protect it.

Lifestyle

Savannah elephants prefer to live in small families, headed by a female - animals recognize matriarchy. Also, to the elephant family includes the eldest daughters of the main female with offspring and immature individuals - both males and females. As you can see, sexually mature males are not included in the family.

As soon as the male reaches 10–12 years of age, he is expelled from the herd. At first, many individuals follow the maternal herd at some distance, but gradually get used to a solitary lifestyle or form male companies.

Elephants have an excellent sense of smell and acute hearing, but very poor eyesight. Despite the fact that elephants are land animals, they can swim and love to splash in the water.

How do elephants communicate? They can make trumpet sounds so loud that they can be heard several kilometers away. or use language touches. Elephants often make a drawn-out trumpet sound over the corpse of a dead relative.

African elephants spend most of their day wandering in search of food; under unfavorable conditions, families can form herds.

Adult elephants prefer to sleep standing up, while it is quite difficult for older individuals to get comfortable due to impressive tusks, that's why you have to put them on a termite mound or lean on the branches of a tree. Baby elephants will sleep lying on the ground for a while.

Nutrition

What does an elephant eat? African elephants are herbivores; they eat leaves, tree bark, shoots, and roots. Elderly elephants They prefer soft marsh greens, which even the animal’s teeth, which have lost their sharpness, can cope with.

The constant availability of water is very important for these giants, because they drink at least 10 liters per day.

During periods of drought, elephants line up at watering holes according to seniority to quench their thirst.

The appetite of this giant is impressive - the animal eats about 300 kg per day! Animals often destroy plantations, causing serious damage agriculture. They obtain food using a flexible trunk and tusks, and chew with their molars.

Reproduction

As a rule, African elephants give birth to offspring in the second half of the rainy season. During the drought period, the sexual activity of animals is reduced, and females do not ovulate.

To find a female, the male can move across the savannah for several weeks.

The pregnancy of elephants is quite long - from 20 to 2 months, one calf is born, cases birth of twins Very few were recorded. The baby appears about a meter tall, weighing 100–120 kg, without tusks and with a small proboscis.

The process of childbirth itself is also interesting: the woman in labor moves away from the herd, but is accompanied by a midwife. A newborn elephant calf rises to its feet within 15 minutes after birth, but will stay with mother up to 4 years. At the same time, the young females of the herd will surround him with care and attention, as if playing the role of nannies. The elephant continues to feed the baby milk until he reaches 2–5 years of age, but from the second year the elephant calf can already take solid food. It is interesting that the mother elephant teaches her child to use her trunk: at first the baby is completely unsuited to this and often steps on her own trunk.

Childbirth occurs once every 3–9 years, and until the birth of the next baby, the elephant calf remains with the mother.

Females are ready to mate after reaching 7 years of age, but when living in unfavorable conditions this time may be shifted up to 19 or even 22 years old. Fertility lasts up to 60 years, one female can bear up to 9 cubs in her life.

Males become ready to breed at 10–12 years of age, but rarely start before 25, since competition from older individuals is very strong. From 25 years old males occasionally fall into a state of must, the level of testosterone in their blood increases more than 50 times, causing the animals to become active and aggressive.

Unfortunately, just recently there were fewer and fewer African giants in the world every year. There are several reasons for this:

Desertification of lands.
The destruction of elephants by humans for the sake of obtaining bones. Even now, despite protective measures, poachers manage to ruthlessly destroy savannah elephants.
The rapid growth of population and cities is displacing animals that have been inhabited for centuries.

The development of agriculture and human land development are making the area suitable for African elephants to live smaller and smaller. Now these animals are under protection and live in national parks and reserves, so their complete extinction was avoided and even their numbers stabilized. In some cases, it is even necessary to curb population growth through sterilization, reducing the number of reservoirs and relocating individual individuals to other protected areas.

The role of the African elephant in people's lives

Previously, savannah elephants were used as game animals, providing ivory and skin. Various parts of the body were used: meat was dried, stools were made from legs, and jewelry was woven from hair from tassels. Tusks were used for making keys piano. In the mid-19th and 20th centuries, up to 100 thousand elephants died annually at the hands of humans. However, due to a sharp decline in numbers, the animals were taken under protection and their shooting was prohibited.

Now African elephants are often used as an object of ecotourism - people travel from all over the world to see the life of these amazing creatures in the wild.

In conclusion, here are some fascinating facts about African elephants:

Among them, as among people, there are left-handers and right-handers, which can be determined by which tusk the elephant uses more often.
The animal has practically no enemies in nature; crocodiles and lions are dangerous only for children. And only man became the real enemy of the giants.
Due to the absence of sebaceous glands, elephants do not sweat. And by wagging their ears, they can lower their body temperature.
These animals are highly trainable and can be used as labor.
Elephants have a good memory, they are one of the smartest mammals in the world, they are able to be sad and happy, and suffer when they lose loved ones.

The savannah elephant is a true giant in the world of mammals, living on African continent. This amazing animal suffered from man, but it was with his help that it was saved from extinction. The elephant is now safe, but lives mostly in protected areas.

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