African savanna elephant | mammal | Britannica

Adult and young African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) crossing a stream. Elephants are classic examples of K-selected species—that is, ... Africansavannaelephant TableofContents Africansavannaelephant References Media Videos Images Africansavannaelephant mammal Actions Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/animal/African-savanna-elephant Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites AnimalCorner-AfricanElephant Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/animal/African-savanna-elephant Alternatetitles:Africanelephant,Loxodontaafricana,bushelephant Africanelephant(Loxodontaafricana).©RobertHardholt/Dreamstime.comAfricanelephants(Loxodontaafricana)liveintheareasurroundingMountKilimanjaro,Tanzania.©Franky_Pictures—iStock/GettyImagesAfricanelephantAfricanelephant.EncyclopædiaBritannica,Inc.AfricanelephantAfricanelephantscratchinghisneckonatree.EncyclopædiaBritannica,Inc.AfricansavannaelephantAfricansavannaelephant(Loxodontaafricana).©DigitalVision/GettyImagesAfricansavannaelephantAfricansavannaelephant(Loxodontaafricana).©DigitalVision/GettyImagesAfricansavannaelephantAfricansavannaelephant(Loxodontaafricana).©DigitalVision/GettyImagesAfricanelephantsAfricanelephants(Loxodontaafricana)inBotswana.©nicolamargaret/iStock.comHerdofAfricanelephants(Loxodontaafricanaoxyotis)andtheircalveswalkingacrosstheAfricansavanna.©Photos.com/JupiterimagesCorporationK-selectedspeciesAdultandyoungAfricansavannaelephants(Loxodontaafricana)crossingastream.ElephantsareclassicexamplesofK-selectedspecies—thatis,speciescharacterizedbyrelativelystablepopulations.Suchspeciesproduceafewlargeyounginsteadofmanysmallyoung.©ShemCompion/GettyImagesAfricansavannaelephantandyoungAfricansavannaelephantandyoung(Loxodontaafricana),Botswana.iStockphoto/ThinkstockAfricansavannaelephantAfricansavannaelephant(Loxodontaafricana).©AnkevanWyk/stock.adobe.comAfricansavannaelephantfeedingAfricansavannaelephant(Loxodontaafricana)eatingcactusleaves.iStockphoto/ThinkstockHerdofelephants,withMountKilimanjaro,Tanzania,inthebackground.©PaulHampton/stock.adobe.comAfricanelephantTwomaleAfricanelephantsfighting.EncyclopædiaBritannica,Inc.proboscideansizecomparisonMastodonsandwoollymammothswerehuntedbysomePaleo-Indians.TheseanimalsweresimilarinsizetomodernAfricanelephantsbut,unlikethemodernvariety,theywereadaptedtoiceagetemperatures.EncyclopædiaBritannica,Inc.AfricansavannaelephantAfricansavannaelephant(Loxodontaafricana).EncyclopædiaBritannica,Inc.animalspeedrecordsEncyclopædiaBritannica,Inc.elephantevolutionEvolutionofmodernelephants.EncyclopædiaBritannica,Inc.Learnaboutthistopicinthesearticles:majorreferenceInproboscidean…relatedtooneanotherthanAfricanelephants(genusLoxodonta)aretoeither.Molecularstudieshavecorroboratedthemorphologicalstudiesthathavelongsuggestedthis.A2010studyusingmitochondrialDNAsuggeststhatAfricanelephantsdivergedfromtheAsianelephant-mammothlinebetween4.2millionand9millionyearsagoandthen…ReadMorecomparisonwithAsianelephantInelephantTheAfricansavanna,orbush,elephant(Loxodontaafricana)weighsupto8,000kg(9tons)andstands3to4metres(10to13feet)attheshoulder.TheAfricanforestelephant(Loxodontacyclotis),whichlivesinrainforests,wasrecognizedasaseparatespeciesin2000…ReadMoreeffectofivorytradeInSouthernAfrica:Legitimatetradeandthepersistenceofslavery…intosouth-centralAfrica,decimatingtheelephantpopulationswiththeirfirearms.By1850theywereinLuvaleandLozicountryandwerepenetratingthesouthernCongoforests.ReadMoreeffectonlandusageInAfrica:AnimalsaffectinglandusageHistorically,theabundanceofelephantsandotherlargeungulatesmayhavestimulatedsomeindividuals—notablywesternAfricanhuntersintheforestsandEuropeansinSouthernAfrica—tooccupycertainareas.Traderouteswereestablishedandearlyhunter-explorerswereinfluencedbytheavailabilityofelephants,whoseivorytusksslavescouldcarry.ReadMoremammalianreproductionInmammal:Implantation,gestation,andbirth…monthsandthatoftheAfricanelephant21to22months.ReadMorepatternsofmigrationInmigration:TerrestrialmammalsElephants(Loxodontaafricana)wandergreatdistancesinsearchofthebestfoodandwatersupply.ReadMoretemperamentInAfrica:Animalresources…andwildnature,however,theAfricanelephant—unliketheAsianelephant—isnotusedfordraftorhaulagepurposes.ReadMorewildlifeofZambeziRiverInZambeziRiver:AnimallifeElephantsarecommonovermuchoftheriver’scourse,particularlyinareassuchastheSeshekePlainandneartheLuangwaconfluence.Gameanimalsincludebuffalo,eland,sable,roan,kudu,waterbuck,impala,duiker,bushbuck,reedbuck,bushpig,andwarthog.Ofthebigcats,lionscanbe…ReadMore