elephant | Description, Habitat | 台北市立動物園資訊網

elephant, (family Elephantidae), largest living land animal[1], characterized[2] by its long trunk (elongated upper lip and nose), columnar legs, and huge head with temporal glands[3] and wide, flat ears. Elephants are grayish to brown in colour, and their body hair is sparse and coarse. They are found most often in savannas[4], grasslands[5], and forests[6] but occupy a wide range of habitats, including deserts[7], swamps[8], and highlands in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa[9] and Asia[10].

The African savanna[11], or bush, elephant (Loxodonta africana) weighs up to 8,000 kg (9 tons) and stands 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 feet) at the shoulder. The African forest elephant[12] (Loxodonta cyclotis), which lives in rainforests, was recognized as a separate species in 2000 and is smaller than the savanna[13] elephant. It has slender, downward-pointing tusks. The common belief that there existed “pygmy” and “water” elephants...