15 interesting facts about elephants

Elephants are terrestrial herbivore mammals. Known for their distinctive looks and sheer size, Elephants are de facto “king of the jungle”. Here are some interesting facts about elephants. Let’s read.

Interesting facts about elephants

Elephants are the largest of all terrestrial animals. They are herbivores mammals that are found on the continents of Asia and Africa, thus generally classified as Asian and African elephants. However, the African elephant is a genus comprising of two species, the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant while the Asian elephant is a species comprising of four subspecies, the Indian elephant, the Sri Lankan elephant, the Borneo pygmy elephant, and the Sumatran elephant.

Size chart

	Male height (average)	Male weight (average)	Female height (average)	Female weight (average)
African bush elephant	3.2 meters	6000 kgs	2.6 meters	3000 kgs
African forest elephant	2.7 meters	3000-5000 kgs	2.1 meters	2000-3500 kgs
Asian elephant	2.8 meters	4000 kgs	2.4 meters	2700 kgs

Elephants are herbivore animals and they can eat up to 150 kgs of food every day.

Both male and female African elephants have large tusks whereas only male Asian elephants can have large tusks. Female Asian elephants may have barely visible tusks known as tushes. Sometimes even male Asian elephants, especially in Sri Lanka, are not able to develop tusks due to a genetic disorder.

The large ears of elephants work as a fan and help in dissipating heat from the body. African elephants have relatively large ear sizes. The contour of their ears roughly makes the map of Africa. Asian elephants too have large ears but not as large as African elephants.

Elephants are the keystone species of their ecosystem. It means that their behavior largely affects the other species of the ecosystem.

Adult and old male elephants either live alone or in small male groups. A female along with her offsprings live in a group with other females.

The 22-month gestation period of Elephants is one of the longest among all animal species. The newborn can weigh as much as 120 kg.

Elephants communicate using a wide range of sounds. One of those is a low-pitched infrasonic sound that can travel several kilometers.

The average lifespan of elephants is 60-70 years. They live longer in captivity than in the wild.

Upon reaching sexual maturity, male elephants enter a state of increased testosterone once a year known as musth. They become highly aggressive during musth.

Elephants are one of the most intelligent animals. They are able to recognize themselves in the mirror. They are also known to create and use tools for scratching, digging holes, etc.

Sadly elephants are a threatened species now. The Asian elephant is classified as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) while the African elephant is classified as vulnerable. The main threat that elephants face is of poaching for ivory. Another major threat is habitat loss.