TheAfrican elephant, also known as Loxodonta africana, is one of the most beloved and sought-after animals on safari in Tanzania, which always manages to impress every person because of its enormous size. In fact, the African pachyderm is the largest mammal in the world, along with the other two members of the elephant family, namely the Indian and African Forest elephant.
Today we will discover all the curiosities and characteristics of this splendid African animal, the largest of the African big five (along with lion, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros) as well as one of the most beautiful specimens of Tanzania’s fauna, known as much for its record-breaking weight and height as for sad episodes such as poaching.
Appearance and description of the African elephant
The African pachyderm is the largest land mammal in the world, surpassed in size only by marine cetaceans. Male elephants reach an average length of 6-6.5m and a height at withers of about 3.2 to 3.5m, while female specimens are slightly smaller, reaching a maximum of 2.8m.
One of the best-known features of pachyderms are their enormous ears, which not only allow them to take advantage of particularly well developed hearing, but are critical for heat dispersal.
Their tusks, from which the name Loxodonta, meaning “oblique tooth,” is precisely derived, are made of ivory and, in male specimens, can reach five feet in length.
How much does an elephant weigh
The weight of a male African elephant ranges from 3800 to 5100 kg, but they can reach as much as 8000 kg. Female specimens, on the other hand, given their significantly smaller size, reach a maximum of 3500 kg.
A 1956 story, starring Jose Fenykovi, features the hunting and killing of an African elephant in Angola, defined as the largest pachyderm ever. Its height reached 4.2 meters and its weight even touched 12,000 kilograms, a full 4 tons more than the average today.
What verse does
The elephant’s verse is the barrito, which means “somber rumbling.”
Differences between the African and Indian elephant
The most obvious differences between the two elephant species, the African and the Asian elephant, are mainly aesthetic and concern weight and height. The African pachyderm is in fact taller and heavier than its Indian cousin, whose male specimen possesses approximately the same size as a female African elephant.
The ear pinnae are also different. In fact, the African elephant has larger ears than the Asian elephant. The same goes for the tusks, which in female Indian pachyderms may also be barely noticeable.
Also different are the skulls, which are flattened in African specimens, the back, which is curved, and finally the proboscis, which has two digitoform appendages.
Gestation
Elephant gestation is one of the most curious features of these animals, as it is the longest of all mammals. In fact, the gestation of the African pachyderm lasts about 22 months, and at its end only one baby elephant is always born, since twin births are very rare.
A newborn elephant, however, is anything but small and slender. In fact, the weight of a male reaches 120 kilograms, for a length of as much as 1.2 meters, and already after the first twenty minutes he is able to stand on his legs and will be ready to live the first three years of his life with his mother.
Habitat
Traveling with Adventure Safari you can often encounter elephants, who inhabit the many Parks visited on our itineraries, such as in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tarangire National Park and Arusha National Park.
The quintessential Habitat of African elephants are the areas ofSub-Saharan Africa, especially the wooded savanna where there is a large presence of water sources, the elephant having a great need for them.
Conservation status
Currently the elephant is a vulnerable and threatened species, this is mainly because of humans. In fact, thanks to its mammoth size, the elephant has no animal rivals except when it is still small. For hundreds of years, the main problem has been poaching and hunting of the elephant, which sees its killing in order to take possession of the ivory contained in its tusks.
It is not currently threatened with extinction, although its specimens have declined significantly over time, and thanks to National Parks its conservation is safeguarded.
If you, too, are curious to make the acquaintance of the majestic African elephant, then we look forward to seeing you on one of our many trips and tours to Tanzania, unforgettable adventures exploring Africa.
