African elephants are the largest living land mammals. As well as being physically striking, they have remarkably complex and interesting social lives.

Subspecies
There were once thought to be two subspecies of African elephant: L.a.africana (savannah elephant) and L.a.cyclotis (forest elephant), but recent research has meant they have been reclassified as two separate species named Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis.

Life span
African elephants live for 55-60 years, and over 80 years in captivity.

Statistics
Head-body length: 6-7.5m (male), females are 0.6m shorter. Tail length: 1-1.3m. Shoulder height: 3-3.4m (male), 2.7m (female). Weight: 6 tonnes (male), 3 tonnes (female). The largest known specimen weighed 10 tonnes and stood 4m at the shoulder.

Physical description
Savannah elephants are the largest of the elephant species, making them the largest land animal in the world. They have four toes on the forefeet and five toes on the hindfeet. African elephants have larger ears and tusks than Asian elephants. Females are smaller and have shorter tusks than males. The skin is grey, with a little covering of hair.

Distribution
Sub-saharan East and Central Africa.

Habitat
Savannah grassland and desert.

Diet
African elephants eat bark, fruit, grass and leaves. They will push down trees to eat from them. Water is essential and they can consume up to 50 gallons a day.

Behaviour
African elephants live in matriarchal groups of pre-pubescent males and females of all ages. The oldest female in the group guides the family unit, joined by adult males only for mating when the females are in oestrus.

Elephants are the only animals in Africa that dig deep holes in search of water. The holes, excavated using the trunk, can be several feet deep and it's thought that the locations are learned from social interactions. Elephants are also very fond of bathing.

After they are about eight years old, male elephants enter an annual condition called musth (meaning 'madness') which is marked by secretions from a gland behind the eye. They become more aggressive and sexually excited at this time.

Reproduction
There is no breeding season. Females breed every four years and are only receptive for between 3-6 days, so bulls in musth need to be alert to the location of receptive females. They listen for the females tummy-rumbles that can be heard from many kilometres.

When mating takes place, the entire family takes part in a noisy melee known as the mating pandemonium, during which they rush about in an agitated state and trumpet loudly.

The gestation period is 22 months long. Females remain fertile for up to sixty years.

Conservation status
The savannah elephant is classified as Endangered by the 2000 IUCN Red List. They have been hunted to the brink of extinction for their ivory. Pressure on the ivory trade and improved protection from poachers has helped to restore numbers in some areas.

Controlled culling in reserves is sometimes necessary when overpopulation causes habitat loss, but efforts have been made to secure larger reserves. These include areas stretching across migratory routes.