- Common Name:
- African savanna elephant
- Scientific Name:
- Loxodonta africana
- Group Name:
- Average Life Span In The Wild:
- Up to 70 years
- Up to 24 feet long and 13 feet tall
- Up to 7 tons
- IUCN Red List Status:
What is an African savanna elephant?
African savanna elephants, also known as African bush elephants, are not only the largest species of elephant on Earth, they are also the planet’s largest species of land animal.
Scientists used to think African savanna elephants and closely related African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) were subspecies of a single African elephant. However, a study published in 2010 found that each elephant belonged to its own species and that the lineages diverged between 2.5 and 5 million years ago, or about as long ago as humans split off from chimpanzees.
There are also behavioral differences between the species. African savanna elephants form large herds that can range from around 10 individuals to groups of families numbering 70 individuals or more. African forest elephant herds tend to be much smaller, with only a few elephants in each unit.
Habitat and diet
African savanna elephants can thrive in a range of habitats, from wooded savannas and open grasslands to deserts. In fact, one of the few places in sub-Saharan Africa that you won’t find this species is the dense tropical forests in the center of the continent where African forest elephants live.
As herbivores, elephants chow down on grass, leaves, bark, and fruit—and lots of it! Each animal requires as much as 350 pounds of foliage per day.
Interestingly, there’s a link between what elephants eat and where they live. By stripping trees of leaves and even breaking branches or knocking down tree trunks, African savanna elephants help keep open habitats from filling in with dense vegetation. For this reason, scientists consider elephants to be ecosystem engineers—or animals that modify their environments, such as humans and beavers.
During the dry season, elephants are also able to dig into the soil to expose underground springs. This not only quenches the animal’s thirst, but also makes water available to other creatures. Continued wallowing, especially on the site of former termite mounds, also creates depressions in the savanna where water collects and eventually forms water holes.
As large-bodied mammals, elephants do not become reproductively mature for many years. And while both males and females may be capable of reproducing at eight to 12 years of age, females tend to prefer older males ages 30 to 35.
While breeding can happen all year, most mating happens between December and March. Leading up to it, male elephants experience a surge in testosterone levels—up to six times higher than normal. This state is known as musth, and it can last two to three months. During this time, male elephants become extremely aggressive and can be dangerous to people and other animals that get in their way.
Being in musth has its benefits, though, as females are especially likely to mate with males that are both 35 years old and in musth.
After mating, female savanna elephants become pregnant and will remain so for nearly two years! At 22 months, elephant pregnancy is the longest gestation known for any animal.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the African savanna elephant as endangered, and the general population is thought to be decreasing. This is the result of many factors, including poaching for the elephant’s ivory, the effects of war, climate change, and serious reduction of habitat due to development, agriculture, drilling, and mining.
Due to their gargantuan food needs, elephants can also be a serious threat to farmers, with the animals capable of destroying an entire field’s worth of crops in a single night. This leads to conflict that can result in the death of both humans and elephants. For instance, between 2010 and 2017, Kenyan authorities euthanized between 50 and 120 elephants a year as a result of human-elephant conflict. During the same period, 200 people were killed by elephants.
The good news is that African savanna elephants are now protected in various ways across 23 of the countries they call home. Conservation actions include protecting the elephants’ habitat, as well as more active measures, such as mobilizing anti-poaching units and restricting the sale of ivory.
Did you know?
Elephants use their tusks as tools and even rely on one tusk more frequently—just like we do with our hands.
— World Wildlife Fund
Both male and female elephants grow tusks, but the males’ are usually longer because they continue to grow after puberty.
— The Royal Society