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The African Elephant or African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta africana]
The African Elephant has recently been classified into two separate species, the more common African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta Africana] and the smaller African Forest Elephant [Loxodonta cyclotis] of the rainforest of Central Africa.
The Elephant is the world's largest land mammal, and weighs up to 7 ton and reaches heights of 3.3 m at the shoulder. Elephants can live to a potential age of 70 years. The massive tusks of older bulls can weigh up to 50 or 60 kilograms, but tusks weighing up to 90 kilograms have been recorded.
Physical Characteristics
Habitat
Elephants can live in nearly any habitat that has adequate quantities of food and water. Their ideal habitat consists of plentiful grass and browse. Once ranging across most of Africa the Elephant population has declined dramatically across the continent. In South Africa the Addo Elephant and Kruger National Park protect large herds. Due to rigorous conservation measures the Elephant population in South Africa has grown from a estimated 120 in 1920 in 4 locations, to 10 000 at 40 locations to date.
Behavior
Elephants form small family groups consisting of an older matriarch and three or four offspring, along with their young. The female family groups are often visited by mature males. Several interrelated family groups may inhabit an area and know each other well. When they meet at watering holes and feeding places, they greet each other affectionately. Males, which mature between 12 and 15, are usually expelled from the maternal herd.
Diet
Usually only one calf is born to a pregnant female. An orphaned calf will usually be adopted by one of the family's lactating females or suckled by various females. Elephants are very attentive mothers, and because most elephant behavior has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them for many years.
Predators & threats
Elephants once were common throughout Africa, even in northern Africa as late as Roman times. They have since disappeared from that area due to overhunting and the spread of the desert. Even though they are remarkably adaptable creatures, living in habitats ranging from lush rain forest to semi desert, there has been much speculation about their future. Surviving populations are pressured by poachers who slaughter elephants for their tusks and by rapidly increasing human settlements, which restrict elephants' movements and reduce the size of their habitat. Today it would be difficult for elephants to survive for long periods of time outside protected parks and reserves. But confining them also causes problems without access any longer to other areas, they may harm their own habitat by overfeeding and overuse. Sometimes they go out of protected areas and raid nearby farms.
Poached for ivory
Despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers. Tens of thousands of elephants are being killed every year for their ivory tusks. The ivory is often carved into ornaments and jewelry – China is the biggest consumer market for such products.
The ban on international trade was introduced in 1989 by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) after years of unprecedented poaching. In the 1980s, an estimated 100,000 elephants were being killed per year and up to 80% of herds were lost in some regions. The ban allowed some populations to recover, especially where elephants were adequately protected.
But there has been an upsurge in poaching and illegal ivory trafficking in recent years, driven by increasing demand in Asia, which has led to steep declines in forest elephant numbers and some savannah elephant populations. Insufficient anti-poaching capacity, weak law enforcement and corruption undermine efforts to stop the poaching and trafficking in some countries.
Habitat loss and conflict with communities
Most elephant habitat still extends outside protected areas, and the rapid growth of human populations and the extension of agriculture into rangelands and forests formerly considered unsuitable for farming mean that elephant habitat is continuing to be lost.
As human populations expand, more land is being converted to agriculture. So elephant habitat is shrinking and becoming more fragmented, and people and elephants are increasingly coming into contact - and conflict - with each other. Elephants sometimes raid farmers’ fields and damage their crops – affecting the farmers’ livelihoods – and may even kill people. Elephants are sometimes killed in retaliation. With human populations continuing to grow across their range, habitat loss and degradation - and conflict with communities - will remain major threats to elephants' survival.
Kruger National Park. 22 elephants were killed within the park during 2015, the previous year had only 2 illegal killings. This had followed a roughly 14-year period of no elephant poaching within the park (2000-2013). By the end of 2016 there were 46 elephants illegally killed within the park, demonstrating a clear increase in poachers intentionally targeting elephants in eastern South Africa bordering Mozambique.
Interesting Elephant Information:
What is the trunk and what is it used for?
The Elephant's trunk is a modified nose which is very sensitive and can even detect water underground. There are as many as 50 000 muscles in an Elephant trunk. The sensitive finger-like appendages at the tip of the trunk enables them to pick the smallest twig or flower, pull the toughest reed of grass or even pick out a thorn from their feet.
Do elephants have knees or elbows?
The joints that are perceived as 'knees', are in fact wrists. This is a common misunderstanding due to the belief that a leg joint that bends between the foot and the body must be a knee. The main difference between us and the elephants is that our foot bones and hand bones are separate, whereas those of the elephant are one in the same, and have evolved to suit this four-legged mammal.
Why do elephants have tusks?
The tusks are used for obtaining food, fighting (amongst males) and for self-defense. They are actually their upper incisors, and grow continuously until they die at around 60 years old. Although their skin is up to 3cm (1 inch) thick, it is quite sensitive.
How do you tell an elephant's mock charge from a serious one?
It is imperative to keep in mind that Elephant are extremely intelligent, and each individual has a distinct character. Although there will be exceptions to the rules, the common signs of a mock charge are bush-bashing, dust-throwing, trumpeting and other vocalizations, open ears and an intimidating presence, can be considered a mock-display. Aggressive or startled elephants usually make sudden headshakes and flap their large ears against their head. Serious charges usually occur after all attempts to intimidate have failed, and the Elephant feels threatened. The ears are pinned back and head and trunk are lowered. Ultimately, the key lies in the intelligence of the animal and how they will react to the 'target' and unfamiliar actions, and a conscious decision is made.
Why do elephants rhythmically flap their ears?
Contrary to common belief, it is not an expression of anger. Being an animal of such a large size, with no sweat glands and a dark body color, elephants flap their ears to cool the body and rid themselves of irritating insects.
Did you know?
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_elephant.html
http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engelephant.html?zenden=2&subsoort_id=4&bestemming_id=1
http://www.poachingfacts.com/poaching-statistics/elephant-poaching-statistics/
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/elephants/african_elephants/afelephants_threats/
The African Elephant has recently been classified into two separate species, the more common African Bush Elephant [Loxodonta Africana] and the smaller African Forest Elephant [Loxodonta cyclotis] of the rainforest of Central Africa.
The Elephant is the world's largest land mammal, and weighs up to 7 ton and reaches heights of 3.3 m at the shoulder. Elephants can live to a potential age of 70 years. The massive tusks of older bulls can weigh up to 50 or 60 kilograms, but tusks weighing up to 90 kilograms have been recorded.
Physical Characteristics
- The African elephant is the largest living land mammal.
It's muscular trunk serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device and a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, digging and a variety of other functions. The trunk permits the elephant to reach as high as 23 feet. - It is also use for powerful twisting and coiling movements to tear down trees or fighting. The trunk of the African elephant has two finger-like structures at its tip.
The tusks are greatly elongated incisors (elephants have no canine teeth). - Approximately one-third of the total length of the tusk lies hidden inside the skull.
Both male and female African elephants have tusks. - Tusks grow for most of an elephant's lifetime and are an indicator of age.
- Elephants are "right- or left-tusked," using the favored tusk more often as a too.
- Tusks will differ in size, shape and direction; researchers use them (and the elephant's ears) to identify individuals.
When an elephant's teeth have worn down, the elephant can no longer chew food properly; malnutrition sets in, hastening the elephant's death, usually between 60 and 70 years of age.
The African elephant's ears are often described as similar to a map of Africa. - The nicks, tears and scars as well as different vein patterns on the ears help distinguish between individuals.
- Elephants use their ears to display, signal or warn when alarmed or angry, they spread the ears, bringing them forward and fully extending them.
- The ears also control body temperature.
- The sole of the elephant's foot is covered with a thick, cushion like padding that helps sustain weight, prevents slipping and deadens sound.
- When they need to, elephants can walk almost silently.
- An elephant usually has five hoofed toes on each forefoot and four on each hind foot. When it walks, the legs on one side of the body move forward in unison.
Males are larger than females and have larger tusks, but females can usually be identified by their pronounced foreheads. - Smell is the most highly developed sense, but sound deep growling or rumbling noises is the principle means of communication.
- Sometimes elephants communicate with an ear-splitting blast when in danger or alarmed, causing others to form a protective circle around the younger members of the family group.
- Elephants also makes low-frequency calls that are too low for humans to hear.
Habitat
Elephants can live in nearly any habitat that has adequate quantities of food and water. Their ideal habitat consists of plentiful grass and browse. Once ranging across most of Africa the Elephant population has declined dramatically across the continent. In South Africa the Addo Elephant and Kruger National Park protect large herds. Due to rigorous conservation measures the Elephant population in South Africa has grown from a estimated 120 in 1920 in 4 locations, to 10 000 at 40 locations to date.
Behavior
Elephants form small family groups consisting of an older matriarch and three or four offspring, along with their young. The female family groups are often visited by mature males. Several interrelated family groups may inhabit an area and know each other well. When they meet at watering holes and feeding places, they greet each other affectionately. Males, which mature between 12 and 15, are usually expelled from the maternal herd.
Diet
- An elephant's day is spent eating (about 16 hours), drinking, bathing, dusting, wallowing, playing and resting (about three to five hours).
- As an elephant only digests some 40% of what it eats, it needs tremendous amounts of vegetation (approximately 5% of its body weight per day) and about 30 to 50 gallons of water.
- A young elephant must learn how to draw water up into its trunk and then pour it into its mouth.
- Elephants eat an extremely varied vegetarian diet, including grass, leaves, twigs, bark, fruit and seed pods.
- A single Elephant deposits up to 150kg (330 pounds) of dung every day - about one dollop every 15 minutes!
Usually only one calf is born to a pregnant female. An orphaned calf will usually be adopted by one of the family's lactating females or suckled by various females. Elephants are very attentive mothers, and because most elephant behavior has to be learned, they keep their offspring with them for many years.
Predators & threats
Elephants once were common throughout Africa, even in northern Africa as late as Roman times. They have since disappeared from that area due to overhunting and the spread of the desert. Even though they are remarkably adaptable creatures, living in habitats ranging from lush rain forest to semi desert, there has been much speculation about their future. Surviving populations are pressured by poachers who slaughter elephants for their tusks and by rapidly increasing human settlements, which restrict elephants' movements and reduce the size of their habitat. Today it would be difficult for elephants to survive for long periods of time outside protected parks and reserves. But confining them also causes problems without access any longer to other areas, they may harm their own habitat by overfeeding and overuse. Sometimes they go out of protected areas and raid nearby farms.
Poached for ivory
Despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers. Tens of thousands of elephants are being killed every year for their ivory tusks. The ivory is often carved into ornaments and jewelry – China is the biggest consumer market for such products.
The ban on international trade was introduced in 1989 by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) after years of unprecedented poaching. In the 1980s, an estimated 100,000 elephants were being killed per year and up to 80% of herds were lost in some regions. The ban allowed some populations to recover, especially where elephants were adequately protected.
But there has been an upsurge in poaching and illegal ivory trafficking in recent years, driven by increasing demand in Asia, which has led to steep declines in forest elephant numbers and some savannah elephant populations. Insufficient anti-poaching capacity, weak law enforcement and corruption undermine efforts to stop the poaching and trafficking in some countries.
Habitat loss and conflict with communities
Most elephant habitat still extends outside protected areas, and the rapid growth of human populations and the extension of agriculture into rangelands and forests formerly considered unsuitable for farming mean that elephant habitat is continuing to be lost.
As human populations expand, more land is being converted to agriculture. So elephant habitat is shrinking and becoming more fragmented, and people and elephants are increasingly coming into contact - and conflict - with each other. Elephants sometimes raid farmers’ fields and damage their crops – affecting the farmers’ livelihoods – and may even kill people. Elephants are sometimes killed in retaliation. With human populations continuing to grow across their range, habitat loss and degradation - and conflict with communities - will remain major threats to elephants' survival.
Kruger National Park. 22 elephants were killed within the park during 2015, the previous year had only 2 illegal killings. This had followed a roughly 14-year period of no elephant poaching within the park (2000-2013). By the end of 2016 there were 46 elephants illegally killed within the park, demonstrating a clear increase in poachers intentionally targeting elephants in eastern South Africa bordering Mozambique.
Interesting Elephant Information:
What is the trunk and what is it used for?
The Elephant's trunk is a modified nose which is very sensitive and can even detect water underground. There are as many as 50 000 muscles in an Elephant trunk. The sensitive finger-like appendages at the tip of the trunk enables them to pick the smallest twig or flower, pull the toughest reed of grass or even pick out a thorn from their feet.
Do elephants have knees or elbows?
The joints that are perceived as 'knees', are in fact wrists. This is a common misunderstanding due to the belief that a leg joint that bends between the foot and the body must be a knee. The main difference between us and the elephants is that our foot bones and hand bones are separate, whereas those of the elephant are one in the same, and have evolved to suit this four-legged mammal.
Why do elephants have tusks?
The tusks are used for obtaining food, fighting (amongst males) and for self-defense. They are actually their upper incisors, and grow continuously until they die at around 60 years old. Although their skin is up to 3cm (1 inch) thick, it is quite sensitive.
How do you tell an elephant's mock charge from a serious one?
It is imperative to keep in mind that Elephant are extremely intelligent, and each individual has a distinct character. Although there will be exceptions to the rules, the common signs of a mock charge are bush-bashing, dust-throwing, trumpeting and other vocalizations, open ears and an intimidating presence, can be considered a mock-display. Aggressive or startled elephants usually make sudden headshakes and flap their large ears against their head. Serious charges usually occur after all attempts to intimidate have failed, and the Elephant feels threatened. The ears are pinned back and head and trunk are lowered. Ultimately, the key lies in the intelligence of the animal and how they will react to the 'target' and unfamiliar actions, and a conscious decision is made.
Why do elephants rhythmically flap their ears?
Contrary to common belief, it is not an expression of anger. Being an animal of such a large size, with no sweat glands and a dark body color, elephants flap their ears to cool the body and rid themselves of irritating insects.
Did you know?
- The elephant is distinguished by its high level of intelligence, interesting behavior, methods of communication and complex social structure.
- Elephants seem to be fascinated with the tusks and bones of dead elephants, fondling and examining them. The myth that they carry them to secret "elephant burial grounds," however, has no factual base.
- Elephants are very social, frequently touching and caressing one another and entwining their trunks.
- Elephants demonstrate concern for members of their families they take care of weak or injured members and appear to grieve over a dead companion.
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_elephant.html
http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engelephant.html?zenden=2&subsoort_id=4&bestemming_id=1
http://www.poachingfacts.com/poaching-statistics/elephant-poaching-statistics/
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/elephants/african_elephants/afelephants_threats/
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