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General Characteristics
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African Bush Elephants are the heaviest land animal.
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They are the second tallest in the Animal Kingdom.
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Males appear larger than females.
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 They have enormous ears
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They have a unique nose that is simply a long, boneless trunk extending from the upper lip.
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African elephants have dark gray skin which is scattered with black hairs that wear off through the years.
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 As a result the adults are mostly hairless.
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They have more slender tusks and are smaller in height and weight than savannah/desert elephants
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Head to body Length : 6.0 to 7.3 meters ( 19.7 to 24.0 feet )
Tail Length : Â 3 – 4 feet
Shoulder Height : 12 feet ( 3.75 meters ) / Female : 9 feet ( about 3 meters )
Tusk Length : Â 3 m ( 10 feet )
Ear Length : 6.0 to 5 feet ( 2 .0 to 1.5 meters )
Weight :Â .3,600 to 6,000 kilograms ( 7,920 to 13,200 pounds )
Trunk length : 5 feet long ( 150 centimeters )
Trunk Weight : 135 kilograms ( 300 pounds )
Range – South of Sahara Desert to the south tip of Africa. Western coast of Africa to the Indian Ocean in the east.
Habitat – Deserts, forests, savanna, river valleys and marshes
Food :Â fruits leaves, bark and leaves
Status : There used to be 5 to 10 million , now it is reduced to 400,000 to 500,000.
Reason for Status : Ivory trade, bush meat, logging, poaching, and habitat loss.
Gestation : Â 22 months
Lifespan : 80 years in captivity / 70 years in the wild