Asian and African Elephants

Elephants are large land mammals that are characterized by their long trunk (elongated upper lip and nose), columnar legs, and a huge head with temporal glands and wide flat ears. They belong to the family Elephantidae. Currently, there are three living species of elephants: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are most often found in savannas, grasslands, and forests and occupy a wide range of habitats including deserts, swamps and tropical areas. Elephants range in color from gray to brown and their body hair is sparse and coarse.

African elephants are currently found in 37 African countries. African elephants have been classified as a single species with two distinct subspecies: the savanna elephant and the forest elephant. The savanna elephant is the largest of all elephants. The male elephant stands at 3.2 to 4 meters at the shoulder and weighs around 3500 to 12000 kilograms. The female is smaller standing at 3 meters at the shoulder. They are found in grasslands and marshes. Very little is known of the forest elephant. The forest elephant is smaller and rounder comparing to the savanna elephant. Also, its tusk is thinner and straighter than the savanna elephant. The elephants inhabit the dense African rain forests of central and western Africa.

Asian elephants can also be classified into subspecies: the Indian, the Sumatran, and the Sri Lankan. Indian elephants are the most predominant of the Asian elephants. There are approximately 36000 elephants. They are found in 11 Asian countries and inhabit forests, and grasslands. The Sumatran elephant is found only in Sumatra, and is smaller than the Indian elephant. They are very light in color (light gray) and have fewer depigmented skin than the other types of elephants. Mature Sumatran elephants weigh less than 3000 kilograms and stand only 1.7 to 2.6 meters at the shoulder. Sri Lankan elephant is the largest in size out of the Asian elephants. The large males weigh 5400 kilograms and stand over 3.4 meters. Sri Lankan male elephants also have very large cranial bulges, and some parts of depigmented skin.

There are some noticeable differences between the African and Asian elephants. African elephants are tall (3-4 meter), heavy (4000-7000 kg), have large ears that reach up over the neck, wrinkled skin, and an arched back. Asian elephants, on the other hand, are smaller (2-3.5 meters), lighter (3000-6000 kg), have smaller ears, smoother skin, and a straighter/less arched back.

-Courtesy of

1. Encyclopedia Britannica -http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/184366/elephant

2. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant

· Additional differences can be found at :

· http://www.upali.ch/differences_en.html

· Fun and interesting facts about elephants can be found at the following links:

http://www.facts-about.org.uk/zz-animals-elephants.htm

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/interesting-facts-about-elephants.html