Surely you have ever wondered how the African and Asian elephants are different. In this article on our site you will learn about the main differences between them, so that at first glance you will be able to differentiate them.
There are three species of proboscidean today. The Loxodonta africana (savanna elephant) and the Loxodonta cyclotis (forest elephant) are the species that inhabit the African continent. In this article we will refer to this group as African elephants, since the differences between them are only in size. The forest elephant is smaller than the savanna elephant and was recognized as a species in 2010, until then it was considered a subspecies of the savanna elephant. For its part, the Elephas maximus or Asian elephant is the largest mammal on the Asian continent.
Elephant Habitat
Elephants can consume up to 250 kg of food per day, so they need areas with lots of vegetation. They eat a wide variety of foods but most come from bushes and trees.
The Asian elephant inhabits Asian tropical forests, with areas of low vegetation and thickets. While in Africa the elephant lives in wide regions with different habitats.
The African Forest Elephants inhabit dense forests and jungles. Its smaller size than the savannah elephant allows it to move more easily. Savannah elephants, on the other hand, inhabit forests and mountains but predominate in savannah and grassland regions.
Size and anatomy
The African elephant is the largest land mammal on Earth. It can reach 3.5 meters high, 7 meters long and weigh between 4.5 and 6 tons. The Asian elephant is smaller, reaching 2 meters in height, 6 meters in length and weighing up to 5 tons.
By looking at the shape of your back or loin we can see a visible difference. The Asian elephant has an arched back, with the highest point in the center of the back. On the other hand, the African elephant has a more flattened back with the highest point at shoulder height.
Regarding the headshape, we also observed differences between them. The Asian elephant has a marked forehead with two humps on top separated by a central furrow. The African elephant, on the other hand, has a more stylized forehead with the presence of a single mound or hump in the central part.
The photograph shows examples of Asian elephants.
Ears
The ears are one of the most characteristic elements of elephants and one of the factors to take into account when differentiating to the African elephant from the Asian. With the naked eye, observing only the ears, we can clearly differentiate the two species.
The ears of the African elephant are much larger than those of its Asian cousin, they fall on both sides of the head and cover the shoulders of the animal. Its shape is very characteristic and reminiscent of the silhouette of the African continent. They are very important when it comes to regulating body temperature in an environment such as the savannah.
Asians, on the other hand, have much smaller and rounder ears, without falling on the shoulders. They do not need ears as large as the African because they live in much cooler regions.
The image shows an African elephant specimen.
Trunk
The trunk is the most important organ for an elephant, as it performs essential tasks in its life. It is an organ formed by the nose and the upper lip, which they use to breathe, smell, trumpet, drink and grasp objects. It contains about 100,000 different muscles and is highly mobile.
Visually they are very similar between the two species, differing only in the number of lobes or fingers. The lobes are the bumps on which the trunk ends and are the ends that allow the elephant to grasp objects with it.
The trunk of the African elephant has two lobes at its end, one upper and one lower. The Asian elephant has a trunk with a single lobe at the top.
Elephant legs
The legs of both species differ in the number of toes they have.
The African elephant has 4 or 5 toes on its front feet and 3 on its back feet. The Asian elephant has 5 toes on its front feet and 4 on its hind feet.
Fangs
Elephants use their tusks for tasks such as digging, moving or lifting objects such as logs or branches and are also used as a defensive element.
African elephants have tusks, both male and female. Being higher in males.
As for Asian elephants not all of them have tusks. Normally the females do not present them and if they do they are very small.
The photograph shows the tusks of an African elephant.
Elephants tail
The tail is very similar in both species, so it is not easy to differentiate them by this trait. It should only be noted that the Asian elephant has a longer tail in proportion to the rest of the body.
How to tell the difference between the African elephant and the Asian elephant?
As we have seen there are several traits that allow us to differentiate between an African elephant and an Asian one. In short, the African elephant is larger in size, with large ears reminiscent of the African continent. Its trunk has two fingers and there is only one hump on its head.
The Asian elephant is smaller, with small, rounded ears that do not reach the shoulders. Their trunk has only one finger and sometimes they do not have fangs. Its skull has two humps or mounds.
If you liked this article, don't hesitate to visit How long does an elephant live and How long does an elephant's pregnancy last, and discover more about elephants.
