Types of elephants and their characteristics

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 8 August 2021
Update Date: 20 September 2024
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Elephants 101 | Nat Geo Wild
Video: Elephants 101 | Nat Geo Wild

Content

You are probably used to seeing and hearing about elephants in series, documentaries, books and movies. But do you know how many different species of elephant there are? how many already existed in ancient times?

In this PeritoAnimal article you will find the characteristics of the different types of elephants and where they are from. These animals are amazing and fascinating, don't waste another minute and keep reading to get to know each one of them!

Elephant Characteristics

elephants are land mammals belonging to the family elephantidae. Within this family, there are currently two types of elephants: Asian and African, which we will detail later.


Elephants inhabit, in the wild, parts of Africa and Asia. They are the largest land animals that currently exist, including at birth and after almost two years of pregnancy they weigh on average 100 to 120 kg.

Their tusks, if they belong to the species that have them, are ivory and are highly prized, so elephant hunting is often aimed at obtaining this ivory. Due to this intensive hunting, many species were extinct and some of those that remain are, unfortunately, in serious danger of disappearing.

Also, if you are interested in learning more about the elephant, check out our article.

How many types of elephants are there?

Currently, there are two types of elephants:


  • asian elephants: of the genres Elephas. It has 3 subspecies.
  • african elephants: of the genre Loxodonta. It has 2 subspecies.

In total, we could say that there are 5 types of elephants. On the other hand, there are a total of 8 types of elephants that are now extinct. We'll describe each of them in the next sections.

Types of African Elephants

Within the species of African elephants, we find two subspecies: the savanna elephant and the forest elephant. Although they have been considered subspecies of the same species so far, some experts believe they are two genetically different species, but this has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. They have large ears and important tusks, which can measure up to 2 meters.


savanna elephant

Also known as bush elephant, scrub or African Loxodonta, and the today's largest land mammal, reaching up to 4 meters in height, 7.5 meters in length and weighing up to 10 tons.

They have a large head and huge upper jaw fangs and have a very long life, with an expectation of up to 50 years in the wild and 60 in captivity. Its hunting is completely prohibited because the species is serious. endangered.

forest elephant

Also known as African jungle elephant or Loxodonta cyclotis, this species inhabits regions of Central Africa, such as Gabon. Unlike the savannah elephant, it stands out for its small size, reaching only a maximum of 2.5 meters in height.

Types of Asian Elephants

Asian elephants inhabit different regions of Asia such as India, Thailand or Sri Lanka. They differ from Africans because they are smaller and their ears are proportionately smaller. Within the Asian elephant, there are three subspecies:

Sumatran elephant or Elephas maximus sumatranus

this elephant is the smallest, only 2 meters tall, and is at high risk of extinction. As more than three-quarters of their natural habitat has been destroyed, Sumatran elephant populations have declined so much that it is feared that within a few years it will be extinct. The species is endemic to the island of Sumatra.

Indian Elephant or Elephas maximus indicus

Second in terms of size among Asian elephants and the most abundant. The Indian elephant inhabits different regions of India and has tusks of small size. Borneo elephants are considered a type of Indian elephant, not a distinct subspecies.

Ceylon Elephant or Elephas maximus maximus

From the island of Sri Lanka, It's the biggest of the Asian elephants, with more than 3 meters in height and 6 tons in weight.

To find out how long an elephant lives, check out our article.

Types of extinct elephants

While there are currently only African and Asian elephants, including their corresponding subspecies, there are many more species of elephants that no longer exist in our times. Some of these extinct elephant species are:

Types of elephants of the genus Loxodonta

  • Carthaginian Elephant: also known as Loxodonta africana pharaoensis, North African elephant or atlas elephant. This elephant inhabited North Africa, although it was extinct in Roman times. They are famous for being the species over which Hannibal crossed the Alps and Pyrenees in the Second Punic War.
  • Loxodonta exoptata: inhabited East Africa from 4.5 million years ago to 2 million years ago. According to taxonomists, it is the ancestor of the savannah and forest elephant.
  • Atlantic Loxodonta: larger than the African elephant, inhabited Africa during the Pleistocene.

Types of elephants of the genus Elephas

  • chinese elephant: or Elephas maximus rubridens it is one of the extinct subspecies of the Asian elephant and existed until the 15th century in southern and central China.
  • Syrian Elephant: or Elephas maximus asurus, is another extinct subspecies of the Asian elephant, being the subspecies that lived in the westernmost region of all. It lived until the year 100 BC
  • Sicilian dwarf elephant: also known as Palaeoloxodon falconeri, dwarf mammoth or Sicilian mammoth. He inhabited the island of Sicily, in the Upper Pleistocene.
  • Crete Mammoth: also called Mammuthus creticus, lived during the Pleistocene on the Greek island of Crete, being the smallest mammoth ever known.

In the image that appears below, we will show you the illustrated representation of a Palaeoloxodon falconeri.

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of elephants and their characteristics, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.