How tall elephants

By , their numbers were down to 1. Between and , hunting and poaching put the African elephant at risk of extinction, reducing its population by another half. In the years since, poaching has continued to threaten both species: Savanna elephants declined by 30 percent between and , while forest elephants declined by 64 percent from to as poaching worsened in Central and West Africa.

In , the International Union for Conservation of Nature recognized them as separate species for the first time , listing savanna elephants as endangered and forest elephants as critically endangered. As few as , remain today. Compounding the problem is how long it takes for elephants to reproduce. With reproduction rates hovering around 5 to 6 percent , there are simply not enough calves being born to make up for the losses from poaching.

African elephants are also losing their habitat as the human population grows and people convert land for agriculture and development. Elephants need a lot of room, so habitat destruction and fragmentation not only makes it harder for them to find food, water, and each other, but it also puts them in increased conflict with humans. The decision to recognize African elephants as two separate species is seen as an important step for conservation, as it highlights the different challenges that each species faces.

Scientists hope that the listing will bring more attention to forest elephants, which have often been overlooked by governments and donors when grouped together with more visible savanna elephants. African elephants are protected to varying degrees in all the countries of their geographic range.

There have been recent efforts to bring re-legalize the international trade in ivory, but those so far have failed. Conservation groups and governments have worked to set aside land for wildlife— including corridors that connect those protected lands. Still, researchers believe that up to 70 percent of elephants' range is on unprotected land.

To curb poaching, stopping the illegal trade is key. Advocates have launched campaigns that address both the supply side poaching and the demand side people who buy ivory. Since the ban went into effect, public demand for ivory seems to have fallen.

On the supply side, protecting elephants from poaching also requires a local approach. In , a study showed that the suffering of elephants is tied to that of the humans living nearby: Regions with high levels of poverty and corruption are more likely to have higher poaching rates.

This suggests that helping communities develop sustainable livelihoods could reduce the lure of poaching. Elephant family members show signs of grief and may revisit the bones of the deceased for years, touching them with their trunks. All rights reserved. Animals Photo Ark. African elephant.

For example, they use their trunks to greet one another, either by holding it out high or by inserting the end of their trunk into another elephant's mouth. Elephants also pay close attention to the well-being of all the members of their herd, and will do what they can to take care of and protect weak or injured members.

They're considered an extremely intelligent species , and have been observed showing advanced problem-solving skills and demonstrating empathy, mourning and self-awareness, according to an article in Scientific American. Male and female elephants become sexually mature between 8 and 13 years of age. Male elephants will leave their herd around this time, as long as they're able to find their own food and protect themselves, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Adult males either live on their own or in small bachelor herds. Females may not have their first calf until their middle teen years, while males may not father a calf until they are in their 30s, when they are large and strong enough to compete with other males, according to the National Zoo. Usually, only a single calf is born following a month pregnancy. A newborn calf weighs between and lbs.

Calves also tend to be hairy with long tails and very short trunks. Elephant calves grow quickly, gaining 2 to 3 lbs. By the time they are 2 or 3 years old, calves are ready to be weaned. The skin of an elephant can be up to 2. Despite this, elephants are very prone to skin parasites and use mud and dust baths to try and get rid of them, as well as to cool off.

Elephant have six sets of teeth that grow one set after another, throughout their lives. By the time they reach their 50's, most elephant have started to use their final set. Elephant Social behaviour Elephants are social animals who tend to live in large groups. There is usually one leader, the matriarch, who is often the oldest female, with the rest of the herd being made up of her own offspring. Being the oldest, she has the experience and knowledge that will ensure the survival of the herd in times of hardship.

She will take them to water and food beyond their usual range, and teach them how to protect themselves from danger. Young females will usually stay with the herd, whilst the males leave the herd during adolescence between the ages of 10 and 19 years to lead the life of a more solitary bull elephant. Family life is definitely all about mums and their babies, although the male elephants are usually not too far away, keeping an eye on their offspring.

Elephant Communication Elephants are highly intelligent, social animals that use a variety of different means to communicate with each other. Like humans, they love to talk to each other by vocalising a range of calls and sounds. Research shows that as many as 70 different calls have already been identified, ranging from the loud trumpets of panic to the comforting rumbles of reassurance.

They also use infrasound sounds that are at a frequency inaudible to humans calls which can be heard up to 14km away. Recent evidence also suggests that they may also be able to communicate through seismic waves that pass through the ground, which they pick up through their sensitive feet. Like many other animals, elephants also use smells to pick up information about other elephants and their environment.

For example, a male can tell when a female is ready to mate from the chemical signs she leaves in her urine and faeces. This, combined with the characteristic calls of that time, ensures that all the local males will know when the time is right to compete for her affections. Elephants secrete chemicals from temporal glands that are behind their eyes. We do not fully understand their function but it does appear to be linked to chemical communication. Elephant Reproduction Reproduction is one of the most important elements of nature.

It ensures the continuation of every species, and every species does it differently! In the elephant world, females are generally ready to become a mum at around years old and can give birth to as many as 12 calves throughout the course of their lives. Whilst we consider the human gestation period to be lengthy, at a mere 9 months, be thankful you are not an elephant!

The average gestation period for a female elephant is a whopping 22 months. Female elephants must have a thing for the older man, as males do not come into their prime until they are between years of age. Musth is a periodic condition in bull elephants that is characterised by highly aggressive behaviour and is accompanied by a large rise in reproductive hormones.

Testosterone levels in an elephant in musth can be as much as 60 times greater than in the same elephant at other times. Musth can last for as long as six months in the dominant males and they will often stop feeding for several days during this period of time. Elephant Love and Relationships Rumour has it that elephants mate for life.

Whilst this is not necessarily true, animal scientist have proven that they will never stray far from mating partners. They are known to be able to develop strong and intimate bonds between friends and family members. They can form lifelong friendships and will often only move in the same groups for their entire life. Elephants are also known to mourn the death of a loved one, and have even been seen grieving over stillborn calves, or baby elephants who do not survive the first few months of life.

Family groups have even been known to return to the locations where friends or family members died and linger there for some time. Elephants need excellent memory skills in order to survive in the wild, and can recognise a previous companion or family member by the scent of their urine alone. So, whilst elephants may not quite be as romantic as we like to think they are, there is certainly a lot of evidence that they do form strong bonds with their own social networks. Elephants can live for up to 70 years in the wild, so being part of a group is important to them.

Baby Elephant Facts Baby elephants are cute - there are no two ways about that. But, they are also highly evolved and one of the most advanced species when it comes to their new born capabilities.

A baby elephant is called a calf and can weigh around lbs 91 kg and stand about 3 feet 1 m tall. They can't see very well when they are born, but much like human babies, they can recognise their mothers by touch, scent, and sound. Most riding horses stand about 5 feet 1. Camels are two-toed mammals. They don't store water in their humps as many people believe — those humps are filled with fat, which can be used as an energy source.

Whereas Dromedary camels have one hump, Bactrian camels have two humps and can grow to about 6 feet 1. Camels can drink up to 40 gallons liters of water in one sitting, according to The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad. Bison are massive creatures that can weigh up to 2, pounds kilograms.

Though they were perilously endangered in the late s — there were just a few hundred left in the US at that time — they are now more than 10, bison roaming in protected areas.

According to Rhino Conservation Botswana , the white rhino is the second largest land animal after the elephant. It can weigh up to 7, pounds White rhinos communicate by puffing and panting, and are known to mark their territories with large dung piles.

The African buffalo is sometimes confused with the American bison, but they're very different. The African buffalo has a long, stocky body that can weigh up to 2, pounds kilograms. Because they're frequently hunted, their numbers are decreasing, but not yet to a concerning level. According to the San Diego Zoo , t he ears of the common hippo fold into a recessed area in its head when the hippo is submerged in order to prevent water from getting inside them.

Hippos can also hear sounds underwater when their lower jaws are submerged. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.