African elephant

Type:

Mammal

Diet:

Herbivore

Average life span in the wild:

Up to 70 years

Size:

Height at the shoulder, 8.2 to 13 ft (2.5 to 4 m)

Weight:

5,000 to 14,000 lbs (2,268 to 6,350 kg)

Group name:

Herd

Protection status:

Threatened

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m)

African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than their Asian cousins and can be identified by their larger ears that look somewhat like the continent of Africa. (Asian elephants have smaller, rounded ears.)