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How much does an African elephant weigh: comparisons and facts

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How much does an African elephant weigh: comparisons and facts
How much does an African elephant weigh: comparisons and facts

Video: How much does an elephant weigh? 2024, July

Video: How much does an elephant weigh? 2024, July
Anonim

There are many proverbs and sayings in which the elephant is the main character. For example, the proverb about clumsiness of a person "like an elephant in a china shop." There is another saying - "like an elephant grains." This expression contrasts the great with the very small, the insignificant, as well as the phrase "elephant and pug."

There is nothing strange in the popularity of this animal. After all, the elephant is a unique mammal, the largest on earth, the size of which simply cannot but attract close attention to it. Elephants are the heroes of fairy tales not only in African countries and Asian, but even in those countries in which they are not found, such as Russia, for example. They are very interesting to all lovers of flora and fauna, especially often people ask questions regarding the size and weight of these amazing mammals - inhabitants of the African savannah. So how much does an African elephant weigh - not an Indian one, but an inhabitant of the Black continent?

It certainly does not seem possible to answer this question, because each of the elephants has individual height and weight, like each person, in fact. For example, males and females weigh differently, the latter in this parameter are much inferior to the former. But to indicate the approximate weight is still a completely solvable task.

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African elephant weight

How much an African elephant weighs in tons - this is known to scientists studying these mammals by virtue of their professional duties. According to them, an elephant can weigh 12 tons, but this is rare. The average elephant weighs from 2.5 to 7 tons (from 2500 to 7000 kg). Males weigh twice as much as females.

By the way, the heavy weight of the elephant does not make it awkward. The elephant is a beautiful and elegant mammal, and sayings that say the opposite are not true at all. This is an animal slander!

The opinion about the awkwardness of an elephant consists of false impressions after visiting a zoo or circus. The elephant, being in a cramped cage, behaves unnaturally, therefore, having seen its torturous movements in unusual conditions for it, it seems that this animal is completely devoid of grace. But those who have visited Africa and seen an elephant in the wild will say that it simply is not more graceful when compared with other mammals with similar parameters.

Before you start looking for answers to the question of how much an African elephant weighs, you must first find out what it is. It turns out that African elephants are of two types: forest and savannah. They are slightly different from each other, but not in size. Forest elephants are much smaller than their steppe relatives.

A male and a female from the species of savannah weigh 7 and 2.8 tons, respectively. In length, the first can reach 7.5 meters and have a height of up to 3.5 meters.

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About elephants, enemies and life expectancy

It is not necessary to think that elephants, having such gigantic sizes, feel at ease and fearless. Adults always have to protect elephants, on whom lions love to hunt - predators, very dangerous and dexterous, recognized for their strength and magnificent posture by "kings of animals".

If someone is interested in knowing how much an African elephant weighs in kilograms, only when he was born, then we say: a baby can weigh up to 140 kg.

Elephants live about as long as humans. By the age of 20 they are already fully formed. However, when the elephant calf has reached the age of ten, it is already beyond the reach of predators.

True nature lovers, who know how much African elephants weigh in kg, also know about the habitats of African elephants. It is known that they live in the south of the desert lands of the Sahara. However, their habitat narrowed significantly after mass extermination in the 19th century.

Today, elephants live only on the lands of national parks and reserves. It is here that they are in relative safety, although poachers sometimes come here too - they are not even restrained by the opportunity to go to jail and legal punishment for the killing of protected animals.

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Asian elephants are the "younger brothers" of African

Having learned how much an African elephant weighs, it is easy to compare it with a fellow from Asia. Asian elephants weigh far less than their relatives from Africa. The largest individuals can reach only 5 tons, so that in the battle with the African elephant, the Asian cannot resist. By the way, a battle between elephants can last for hours. The longest fight was recorded, which lasted 10 hours and 56 minutes.

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