The African bush elephant, also known as the African savanna elephant, is native to sub-Saharan Africa and is the largest living terrestrial animal, with fully grown bulls reaching an average shoulder height of about 3 to 3.4 metres and a body mass of 5.2 to 6.9 tonnes. It is characterized by a long prehensile trunk with two finger-like processes, a concave back, large heat-dissipating ears and sturdy, noticeably curved tusks. It lives in a variety of habitats, from forests and grasslands to wetlands and agricultural land, feeding mostly on grasses, leaves and bark, and is highly social, living in herds of related females and their young while adult bulls live alone or in small bachelor groups. Since 2021 it has been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, threatened above all by habitat destruction and, in parts of its range, by poaching for meat and ivory.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) ThreatsBiological Resource Use 3 Relationship to People Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status. Scientific Name Conservation Status Population Estimate2016 range-wide estimate; the source gives a margin of roughly plus or minus 20,111 around this point figure, omitted here since this field takes a single value. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceIt is characterised by its long prehensile trunk with two finger-like processes; a concave back; large ears which help reduce body heat; and sturdy tusks that are noticeably curved. 1 Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source African Bush Elephant (Wikipedia)
In Ecosystem
Source African Bush Elephant (Wikipedia)
Source African Bush Elephant (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. African Bush Elephant (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead sentence
The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa and the largest living terrestrial animal
Conservation section
Since 2021, the African bush elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Description section
It is characterised by its long prehensile trunk with two finger-like processes; a concave back; large ears which help reduce body heat; and sturdy tusks that are noticeably curved.
Conservation section (status sentence)
Since 2021, the African bush elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Conservation section (population sentence)
In 2016, the global population was estimated at 415,428
- Category: Fauna listed on CITES Appendix I
- In Biome: Grassland, Wikipedia intro: "ation by retaining water. The African bush elephant inhabits a variety of habitats such as forests, grasslands, woodlands, wetlands and agricultural land. It is..."
In Ecosystem: Okavango Delta, Pathogens
From April to June 2020, over 400 bush elephants died in Botswana's Okavango Delta region after drinking from desiccating waterholes that were infested with cyanobacteria.
In Ecosystem: Kruger National Park, Distribution and habitat
Populations of African bush elephants are increasing in some areas such as the Kruger National Park, where an annual growth of 4.2% was recorded between 2003 and 2015.
View the Source 2. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
3. Wikipedia: African bush elephant
threat (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
It is threatened foremost by habitat destruction, and in parts of its range also by poaching for meat and ivory.
system (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa and the largest living terrestrial animal, with fully grown bulls reaching an average shoulder height of 3.
View the Source4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Loxodonta africana (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITESQuote, Conservation Status: CITES
CITES Appendix I
Wikidata: African Bush Elephant
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: ProboscideaView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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