The name Loxodonta comes from the Ancient Greek words λοξός (loxós,"slanting", "crosswise") and ὀδούς … See more

The first scientific description of the African elephant was written in 1797 by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, who proposed the scientific name Elephas africanus. Loxodonte was proposed as a generic name for the Afric… See more

African elephants have grey folded skin up to 30 mm (1.2 in) thick that is covered with sparse, bristled dark-brown to black hair. Short tactile hair grows on the trunk, which has two finger-like processes at the tip, whereas A… See more

African elephants are distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa, where they inhabit Sahelian scrubland and arid regions, tropical rainforests, mopane and miombo woodlands. African forest elephant populations occur only in Cen… See more

Elephants are the animals with the lowest sleep times, especially African elephants. Research has found their average sleep to be only 2 hours in 24-hour cycles.
Both African elephant species live in family units compr… See more

Both species are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and poaching for the illegal ivory trade is a threat in several range countries as well. The African bush elephant is listed as Endangered and the African fore… See more