African elephant

African elephant
African elephant (Loxodonta africana) in Tanzania
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Proboscidea
Family:	Elephantidae
Genus:	Loxodonta Anonymous, 1827
Range of African elephants (2007)

The African elephant are the two species of elephant in the genus Loxodonta. This is one of the two living genera in Elephantidae. It is the biggest terrestrial animal.

Female elephants travel in herds and male elephants travel alone and sometimes in bachelor groups.

Fossil Loxodonta have only been found in Africa, where they developed in the middle Pliocene.

African elephants are very intelligent.

Males of the African bush elephant can grow to 3.64 metres (11.9 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh 5,455 kilograms (12,026 lb). It is the largest living elephant. Females may reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) and weigh 3,636 kilograms (8,016 lb) to 4,545 kilograms (10,020 lb).^[1]

African elephants are different from Asian elephants. They have larger ears, long, pillar-like legs, a dipped down back, and a fourth toenail on front, and third on the back. African elephants are bigger than Asian elephants. They skin of African elephant is wrinkled, gray, and thick.

1. ↑ Laurson, Barry & Bekoff, Marc 1978. Loxodonta africana. Mammalian Species 92: 1–8. [1]