African elephants are the species of elephants in the genus Loxodonta (Greek for 'oblique-sided tooth'), one of the two existing genera in Elephantidae. Although it is commonly believed that the genus was named by Georges Cuvier in 1825, Cuvier spelled it Loxodonte. An anonymous author romanized the spelling to Loxodonta and the ICZN recognizes this as the proper authority.Fossil members of Loxodonta have only been found in Africa, where they developed in the middle Pliocene.
Ten Facts about African Elephant
- Males stand 3.2-4.0 m (10-13 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh 4,700-6,048 kg (10,000-13,330 lb), while females stand 2.2-2.6 m (7.2-8.5 ft) tall and weigh 2,160-3,232 kg (4,800-7,130 lb).
- Elephants have four molars; each weighs about 5 kg (11 lb) and measures about 30 cm (12 in) long.
- At about 40 to 60 years of age, the elephant no longer has teeth and will likely die of starvation, a common cause of death.
- The tusks weigh from 23-45 kg (51-99 lb) and can be from 1.5-2.4 m (5-8 ft) long.
- Their tusks are teeth; the second set of incisors become the tusks. They are used for digging for roots and stripping the bark off trees for food, for fighting each other during mating season, and for defending themselves against predators.
- Known to be thick-skinned, African elephants have a 1 inch thick skin in certain areas of the body.
- The males often prefer to roam alone or in groups of single males probably around their 13th year.
- A female usually bears her first calf between 10 and 20 years old and bears again every 4-6 years. It takes over a year and a half for an elephant embryo to develop, but at birth calves can stand within an hour, and swim soon after.
- Baby elephants drink milk from their mother's two breasts until 4-6 years later, when mom bears her next young.
- Elephants communicate a lot through touch, taste, and smell. A mother may bat her calf with her tail to make sure he is still following behind her, or she may turn and shove him as discipline.
