African Elephant

giant animals · Africa · social herbivores · tusk keepers

Two types of elephants. African bush elephants are bigger and live in open grasslands, while African forest elephants are smaller and live in forests. You can tell them apart by looking at their ears, which are much larger on bush elephants.

Magnificent tusks. Both kinds have ivory tusks, but they look different. Bush elephants have big, curved tusks while forest elephants have smaller, straighter tusks that help them move through dense trees without getting stuck.

Skin and size. Despite their name, African elephants aren't actually solid grey. Their skin is actually thick and wrinkled, and they love to roll in mud to protect themselves from the sun and insects.

Family groups matter. African elephants are highly social animals that live together in family groups led by the oldest female, called the matriarch. They stay close to each other their whole lives and help raise baby elephants together.

Plant-eating giants. These enormous herbivores spend most of their day eating grass, leaves, and bark. An adult African elephant can eat up to 300 pounds of plants in a single day to fuel its massive body.