African elephants are the largest living land animals and are larger than their close relative the Asian elephant. Elephants are well known for their trunks which are a combination of a nose and upper lip. Elephants use their trunks for drinking, feeding, dusting, smelling, touching, and communicating with each other. The most distinguishing feature of the African elephant is its tusks, which are enlarged incisor teeth. The tusks are made from ivory, which in modern times has become sought after by humans to create jewellery.

Weight

The elephant weighs 3000-7000 kilograms. Males are much larger than females and their tusks are much heavier.

Height

2-3.5 metres to the shoulder.

Length

3-6 metres head to body.

Tail

1-1.5 metres.

Speed

56 kilometres per hour.

Life Span

50-60 years, earlier if the teeth wear out.

Head

The head of an elephant is very large. The bones of its skull are full of air spaces like bird bones, which is an adaptation to save weight yet maintain the strength of the head. The adult elephant brain weighs about 4.5-5.5 kilograms and has a large memory centre. African elephants have larger ears and a more concave back than the smaller Asian elephant. The ears are well supplied with blood vessels and keep the animal cool when it flaps them, as well as radiating extra body heat. Larger ears also mean the elephant is more capable of capturing sounds. The eyes are small and the eyesight is poor compared to the excellent hearing the elephant possesses. The elephant also has an acute sense of smell, good sense of touch, and selective taste.

One of the most prominent features of mature elephants is their tusks, born to both males and females. They have been known to grow up to 3 metres long and weigh 100 kilograms. The tusks are formed from the incisor teeth. The tusks are used to dig for water, move foliage and branches, mark trees and protect the elephant against predators and threats.

The trunk, which is formed from the nose and upper lip, is prehensile, sensitive and strong. There are no bones or cartilage in the trunk, rather it is made up of muscles, blood, lymph vessels, nerves, tissue and some fat. There are around 100,000 muscles and tendons in the elephant¿s trunk, giving it strength and flexibilty. The trunk features folds of skin that form rings, and the skin appears floppy. The trunk is an important tool as it can be used to pick up objects, spray water, or to strike something. It also functions as a snorkel when the elephant is submerged in water. The nostrils are located at the tip of the trunk.

Teeth

Elephant teeth consist of two enlarged upper incisors (tusks), twelve premolars and twelve molars. The massive premolars and molars are grown and worn down one after the other throughout life. They are not replaced by new teeth pushing up or down like in humans and other animals, rather they are replaced horizontally. As the previous teeth wear away another is pushed forward. When the last molars wear out, the animal dies from starvation.

Body

The elephant¿s skin is about an inch thick but is sensitive to heat and insects, due to the sparse amount of hair cover. The Latin word for elephant, pachyderm, means ¿thick-skinned¿. The elephant protects its skin from the sun and moisture loss by covering it in a layer of mud. The skin is grey but may appear reddish brown in colour after the elephant has wallowed in the mud. Elephants do not have sweat glands and therefore use water to keep their skin cool. They also regularly scratch their skin against trees for skin care purposes. The elephant posseses a short tail that has very long, rough hair at the end. The female¿s nipples are located in the chest region and the back is concave.

Front Limb

The ¿wrist¿ is near the ground, and the ¿elbow¿ is near the top of the visible limb. The limbs are massive and column-like in order to support the weight. The legs are almost vertical under the body, providing strong support for the vertebral column. In other mammals the legs are at an angle to the body. The digits are linked together with flesh and are placed nearly flat on the ground. They are well cushioned with an elastic pad. The African elephant has four digits while the Asian elephant has five digits. Each digit has a horny nail. Despite their huge weight, elephants walk almost on their tiptoe.

Hind Limb

The hind limb of the African elephant has three digits while the Asian elephant has four. Like the front limb, each digit has a horny nail. When ¿kneeling¿, the elephant folds its front limbs forward and the hind limb backward.