What Is The Difference Between African And Asian Elephants?

Wildlife Threads

You may have heard of African and Asian elephants, but have you wondered what the difference between Asia and African elephants is? Asians and African elephants are two different species. They look a little bit alike, but they’re distinctively different. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between African and Asian elephants.

The African Elephant is the largest of the two, growing to a maximum of about 10 to 13 feet tall, which is about twice the size of the Asian Elephant. The African Elephant can weigh up to 14,000 pounds or sometimes more. The Asian Elephant is much smaller and weighs between 5,000 and 11,000 pounds.

There are two subspecies of African elephants: the savanna or bush elephant and the forest elephant. The savanna, or bush, elephants live in Africa south of the Sahara Desert, where it is dry and open, while the forest elephants are found in dense forests in Congo and Gabon. The two elephants are so different that many scientists now classify them as separate species.

The differences between the two kinds of elephants include size, shape, and color. Savanna elephants are larger than forest elephants, standing nearly three meters at their shoulders and weighing more than six tons. Forest elephants are considerably smaller, standing only around 2.5 meters tall and weighing up to 3 tons.

Savanna elephants have a round body with straight tusks, while forest elephants have a more petite body with downward curved tusks called “hook-tusks.” Savanna elephants’ ears look like the continent of Africa, while forest elephant ears look like portions of the continent of Africa.

Unlike an Asian Elephant, the male African Elephant has tusks made out of ivory, which sadly has caused many to be poached in recent years. The female African Elephant only has two incisors called “tushes” on the top jaw. In male Asian Elephants, only about 50 percent have tusks, while all females do not.

The Asian Elephant is also called the Indian Elephant but can be found throughout Asia and Indonesia. The Asian Elephant has smoother skin with no hair on it as far as color and skin texture. The ears are smaller than the African elephants, yet their backs are slightly arched (not flat like those from Africa). They also have five nails on their forefeet and four on their hind feet.

The African and Asian elephants are in danger of extinction due to poaching and the ivory trade. Circumstances seem to be particularly grim for the African Elephant. Because African elephants roam over an extensive range, scientists can find it difficult to survey the species and evaluate threats against it. Although significant efforts have been put forth to protect the African Elephant, such as creating elephant preserves, the ivory trade remains a threat. Meanwhile, Asian elephants live in restricted ranges, and campaigns to protect them have been successful.

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