African Elephant
Loxodonta africana · Animal
The African savanna elephant is the largest living land animal. Herds led by an experienced matriarch roam savannas and woodlands, shaping entire landscapes as they feed, dig for water and disperse seeds.
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Loxodonta africana
- Kind
- Animal
- Conservation status
- Endangered (IUCN EN)
- Habitat
- Savanna · Woodland
- Range
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Size
- Up to 4 m at the shoulder
- Weight
- Up to 6 t
- Lifespan
- 60–70 years
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Activity
- Day and night · matriarchal herds
- Population
- ≈ 415,000 African elephants of both species (2016 estimate)
Diet
Eats grasses, leaves, bark, roots and fruit, and can consume around 150 kg of vegetation a day.
Behavior
Family herds are led by the oldest female. Elephants communicate over long distances with low-frequency rumbles and remember water sources for decades.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Proboscidea
- Family
- Elephantidae
- Genus
- Loxodonta
- Species
- L. africana
Conservation
African elephants were split into two species in 2021: the savanna elephant is Endangered and the forest elephant Critically Endangered.
Main threats
- Poaching for ivory
- Habitat loss
- Conflict with farmers