COVER STORY:

Size: Body length: 6-7.5m, Tail length: 1-1.3m, Shoulder height: 3-3.4m, Weight: Male 6000kg, Female: 4000kg.

African elephants are the larger of the two species (African and Asian), making them the largest land animal in the world. They have larger ears and tusks than Asian elephants. Large tusks are present in both sexes but females have shorter tusks. The skin is gray, with a little covering of hair. The skin has folds and up to 2.5 cm thick in places. Ears are large and fan-like, they are also used to control body temperature; blood circulating through the large vessels in the ears is cooled by flapping. Elephants are digitigrades with pads of fibrous tissue to cushion toe bones.

Habitat: African elephants are found in a variety of habitats south of the Sahara. Elephants are highly adaptable and can survive in forest, bush, savanna or desert. Migratory patterns are taught from one generation to the next. Now they are mostly restricted to parks and preserves.

Diet: Elephants have an inefficient digestive system and digest only about 40 per cent of what they eat. They eat enormously. Estimates in the wild range from 45 to 450 kg of vegetation per day (a 16 hour period). Zoo elephants are estimated to eat approximately 25 kg of food per ton of elephant per day. Working elephants need 150 to 300 kg of food per day and have therefore limited working time. Elephants eat almost anything green, but green grass, shoots and buds of trees and shrubs are preferred. Average daily consumption of water for full-grown animals is between 100 and 200 liters. 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 the locations are learned from social interactions.

Social structure: Elephants live in a complex matriarchal society normally composed of 8 to 15 related members and led by a dominant cow. Three or four generations of cows and calves spend their entire lives together with the exception of males, who leave the group at puberty. Groups of related families stay in fairly close range of each other and communicate often; these are called kin groups. In times of danger, kin groups will mass and form clans of 200 or more. A primary mating factor is musth, a periodic hormonal cycle seen in both species. Physical manifestations in males include heavy secretions from temporal glands, high blood testosterone levels, urine dribbling (marking) and aggression. Cows seem to prefer a musth bull, but can successfully breed whether the bull is in musth or not. The cow's estrus cycle is roughly a monthly one and lasts 2-6 days. Gestation is approximately 22 months. The birth is usually a single one. Birth weight is 80 to 110 kg. Mother is often assisted by another cow during birthing. The calf can stand shakily and nurse a few hours after birth. Mammary glands are located between the front legs. Calves will nurse well into their third year and are very dependent on their mothers for eight to ten years. Adolescence at 12 to 14 years of age. Most physical growth is reached at 20, but growth continues throughout life. Top mental ability is at age 30 to 45. Death comes at 65 to 70 years of age when the last set of teeth wear out.

Special adaptation: The majority of the skull is honeycombed with sinuses to minimize weight. Tusks are elongated second upper incisors and grow throughout the lifetime. They are used for food gathering and carrying, as well as weapons. Molars make up other dental equipment; six consecutive sets of two upper and two lower molars are produced throughout life. The trunk is an elongation of the nose and upper lip; in adults it contains 40,000 to 100,000 muscles. Literally the animal's lifeline, it is used for eating, drinking, dust and water bathing, as well as communication. The sense of smell is highly sophisticated; they are believed to locate underground water by smelling the earth above. Vision is poor. Long lashes and nictitating lids protect the eyes from dust. Hearing is acute. Recent studies establish the use of infrasound (tones lower than humans can hear) for long-range communication.

Brain: Elephants have the largest brain size versus body weight other than man. Most mammals, excluding primates, are born with a brain weight of 90% of adult weight. A human brain at birth is 26% of adult weight, and the elephant's is 35% of adult weight. These statistics are used to distinguish instinctive from learned behavior, and are examples of higher intelligence.

Status in the wild: Endangered because of loss of habitat and because of poaching for ivory.