The African elephant is the largest living land mammal and has the heaviest brain of any animal. The largest recorded individual reached 4 metres in height at the shoulder and weighed 10 tonnes. There are two subspecies of African elephant, the savanna elephant and the forest elephant (which is considered by some authorities to be a separate species), which occur in a wide range of forest, grassland and semi-desert habitats across eastern, southern and western Africa. The social structures of the African elephant are very complex, with most herds being composed of closely-related female elephants and their calves, led by a matriarch. Elephants can live to the age of 70 and females typically producing one young every three years. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list and the main threats are hunting for ivory, poaching for meat and competition with growing human populations (around 70% of elephants live outside protected areas).

Masquer le texte