Elephants are large mammals of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. Traditionally, two species are recognised, the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), although some evidence suggests that African bush elephants and African forest elephants are separate species (L. africana and L. cyclotis respectively). Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. They are the only surviving proboscideans; extinct species include mammoths and mastodons. The largest living terrestrial animals,
male African elephants can reach a height of 4 m (13 ft) and weigh
7,000 kg (15,000 lb). These animals have several distinctive features,
including a long proboscis or trunk used for many purposes, particularly for grasping objects. Their incisors grow
into tusks, which serve as tools for moving objects and digging and as
weapons for fighting. The elephant's large ear flaps help to control
the temperature of its body. African elephants have larger ears and
concave backs while Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or
level backs.
Elephants are herbivorous and can be found in different habitats including savannahs, forests, deserts and marshes. They prefer to stay near water. They are considered to be keystone species due to their impact on their environments. Other animals tend to keep their distance, and predators such as lions, tigers, hyenasand wild dogs usually
target only the young elephants (or "calves"). Females (or "cows") tend
to live in family groups, which can consist of one female with her
calves or several related females with offspring. The latter are led by
the oldest cow, known as the matriarch. Elephants have a fission-fusion society in
which multiple family groups come together to socialise. Males (or
"bulls") leave their family groups when they reach puberty, and may
live alone or with other males. Adult bulls mostly interact with family
groups when looking for a mate and enter a state of increased testosterone and aggression known as musth, which helps them gain dominanceand reproductive success.
Calves are the centre of attention in their family groups and rely on
their mothers for as long as three years. Elephants can live up to 70
years in the wild. They communicate by touch, sight, and sound;
elephants use infrasound, and seismic communication over long distances. Elephant intelligence has been compared with that of primates and cetaceans. They appear to have self-awareness and show empathy for dying or dead individuals of their kind.
African elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), while the Asian elephant is classed as endangered. One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destructionand conflicts with local people. Elephants are used as working animals in Asia. In the past they were used in war; today, they are often put on display in zoos andcircuses. Elephants are highly recognisable and have been featured in art, folklore, religion, literature and popular culture.
