Upper incisor teeth develop into tusks in African elephants and grow throughout their lifetime. And their large ears allow them to radiate excess heat. They are easily recognized by their trunk that is used for communication and handling objects. Their herds wander through 37 countries in Africa. The African elephant is the largest animal walking the Earth. By age 25, males are double the weight of females however, both sexes continue to grow throughout their lives. African elephants show sexual dimorphism in weight and shoulder height by age 20, due to the rapid early growth of males. The calves are cared for by their mother and other young females in the group, known as allomothering. Calves are born after a gestation period of up to nearly two years. The elephant's brain is similar to a human brain in terms of structure and complexity the elephant's cortex has as many neurons as that of a human brain, suggesting convergent evolution.Īfrican elephants are at their most fertile between the ages of 25 and 45. With a mass of just over 5 kg (11 lb), the elephant brain is larger than that of any other terrestrial animal. They are amongst the world's most intelligent species. They have a very large and highly convoluted neocortex, a trait they share with humans, apes and some dolphin species. They have grey skin and differ in the size of their ears and tusks, and in the shape and size of their skulls.Īfrican elephants are highly intelligent. The African elephant is a genus comprising two living elephant species, the African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant.
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