If the blue whale is considered the largest animal in the world in the ocean, then probably everyone knows the largest land mammal. This, of course, is an elephant. Only two genera of these animals live in the world:
- African;
- Indian, or Asian.
Indian elephants have a rich pedigree, as they come from different ancestors. This is due to their difference from each other. In addition, Indian elephants are much lighter than African. For comparison: the first weigh on average about 6 tons, and the second - about eight. These giants live up to 70 years.
What is the difference between an Indian elephant and an African elephant?
- As mentioned above, Asian elephants are slightly lighter than their African "colleagues", which makes the latter unconditional leaders on land.
- African elephants have a slightly arched back, while Indian elephants have a slightly hunchback.
- The most striking hallmark of Asian elephants is a high and convex forehead. Their African counterparts, on the contrary, have a flat forehead, even a little cut back.
- The ears of the Indian elephant are noticeably smaller than the ears of the African and have a triangular shape.
- In African elephants, the trunk at its end has two flexible processes, and in Asian elephants, one.
It should be remembered: these animals are smart, but dangerous!
Elephants are capable of compassion and mutual assistance. But even so, both Indian and African elephants are recognized as one of the most dangerous animals in the world. It should be noted that both of their genera are listed in the International Red Book as animals on the verge of extinction. So, let's take a closer look at the largest land mammal in the world.
African elephant
The genus of African elephants includes two modern species:
- forest;
- the shroud.
African elephants can reach a height of 4 meters and weigh up to 12 tons. The length of their massive body exceeds 7 meters. Females of African elephants, of course, are smaller in size: they grow up to only 2.6 meters in height and up to 6.5 meters in length.
Despite its gigantic size, the largest land mammal moves at a speed of 40 km / h. Just think! This clumsy giant is able to very easily overtake a person. Every day he needs at least 300 kilograms of plant foods. It is understandable: the more massive your body, the more energy you will spend in the process of life, which means that it needs to be replenished through food.
Indian elephant
Which land mammal after the African elephant is the largest in the world? Of course, his Indian counterpart! As already mentioned, Asian elephants are inferior in size to African ones. The maximum body weight of adult males reaches 8 tons with an increase of 3.5 meters. Females, of course, are smaller. Their maximum weight ranges from 4 tons. Outwardly, the Indian elephant is more downed than the African. He has thick but relatively short legs.
These giants have significantly fewer tusks than African ones. Moreover, they are well developed only in males. It is curious that even among males in India you can meet an elephant without tusks. There they are called Makhna. The speed of movement of these animals does not differ from that of the African counterparts: they are also mobile and develop it up to 40 km / h.
Not so long ago, these animals inhabited the vast territory of India and Southeast Asia. However, in the XIX century, people began to actively destroy Indian elephants. This was necessary in order to grow the famous Ceylon tea: people destroyed elephants and cut down the whole jungle under tea plantations.
The elephant’s pride is its trunk!
Do you know which land mammal has the longest tongue? This is a great anteater! Language is the subject of his pride and survival. He wields them so dexterously and quickly that his favorite food - ants - has no chance to hide. If the anteaters have a long tongue, the elephant has a trunk.
The elephants have a very short neck, so they cannot reach the ground. Here their trunk also helps out! With the help of their long nose, these animals quite skillfully pluck young shoots from tall trees, and also pluck grass on the ground. In addition, the trunk helps animals cool in the heat: they collect water and pour themselves over it.
The elephant also drinks with his trunk. But he needs him not only for food and water. This is his olfactory organ. With the help of a trunk, the largest land mammal is able to smell various odors at a distance of three kilometers. The giant himself is exploring any unfamiliar places.
In addition, the trunk is a very scary weapon of self-defense. However, in battle, elephants rarely resort to his help, because their impressive size and powerful strength do their job! If the animal is in any danger, it immediately folds its trunk. If an elephant in battle for one reason or another has lost a part of its pride, then he is likely to die a starvation.
Is it true that elephants sleep standing?
In part. For example, adult African elephants sleep really standing up, and young growth sometimes allows itself to lie on its side. For a long time, it was believed that the habit of sleeping while standing was associated with the enormous body weight of the animal, however, at present, scientists are inclined to believe that the reason for this lies elsewhere.
It is believed that the largest land mammal on Earth sleeps standing because of fear of overheating. The fact is that the land in the African savannas warms up very much during the day and simply does not have time to cool down at night. In turn, the massive trunk of an elephant, raised high above the ground, is not only blown by a fresh breeze, but also does not receive additional heat unnecessary to the animal.
By the way, it’s most difficult for old males to get settled at night, because every year it’s more and more difficult to keep their impressive head in weight, additionally weighted by large tusks, during sleep. Young elephants sleep next to termite mounds, laying their tusks on them. Some of them simply lean on thick branches of African trees. It is worth noting that the Indian counterpart of the African elephant can sleep lying on his stomach.
Why are they dying?
Since in the wild the largest land mammal is unparalleled, it seems that it should not have any enemies. In principle, almost it is. The exception is a person. People hunt adult elephants mainly because of their valuable tusks. The fact is that the huge demand for ivory coincided with the invention of powerful rifles by man. Here the whole massacre began.
On the verge of extinction
In a short period of time, several hundred thousand of these powerful animals were destroyed by man. Currently, elephant hunting is strictly limited, and in some countries completely prohibited. However, this, of course, does not bother the poachers at all, who still shoot 15, 000 land giants a year. As mentioned above, both Indian and African elephants are listed in the Red Book.
