Short presentation on African Elephants.

1. African Elephants
Social Groups and
Communication
RACHELLE MARTIN
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

2. African Elephant
 Scientific name: Loxodonta africana
 Class: Mammalia
 Order: Proboscidea
 Family: Elephantidae
 Lifespan in wild: about 65 yrs
 Appearance: large ears, concave backs, grey all over
body
 Height: 2.2-4 meters tall
 Weigh: 2100-6000 kg
 Diet: Herbivore
 can eat up to 450 kg of vegetation per day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African
_elephant(Connor, 2015)

3. Where African Elephants are Found
 Found in Arkansas? They are only kept in
captivity
 Closest relative in Arkansas: Lagomorpha
(rabbits)
 Habitat: dense forests, deserts, and
woodlands
 Geographical location: Sub-Saharan
Africa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa
n_elephant
(Connor, 2015)

4. Anatomy & Appearance
 Skin: very sensitive, protect skin by wallowing in
mud or putting sand over bodies
 Feet: walk on tip toes, weight is evenly
distributed at heel
 Ears: used for temp. regulation
 Trunk: equivalent to human nose and upper lip
 Contains about 100,00 different muscles
 Used for smelling, breathing, snorkeling, drinking,
grabbing, and trumpeting
 Muscles are strong enough to kill a lion
(Williams, 2013)
https://en.upali.ch/anatomy-of-
the-elephants/

5. African
Elephant
Phylogeny
http://www.bio.miami.ed
u/dana/106/106F14_9.ht
ml
Elephants fall in
the Afrotheria in
the Proboscidea
order

6. African Elephant Social Structure &
Herd Behavior
 Travel in a group of 2-8 individuals
 Family groups are mostly mothers and several of
her offspring
 Or several females and their offspring
 Males leave the group when they mature
 Do not usually interact with other family
groups
 Males are solitary
 Only associate with other elephants during
mating seasons
 Males are dominant because they are larger
than females
(Connor, 2015)
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-
content/uploads/2014/09/African-Elephant-
herd-CC-VaughanLeiberum.jpg

7. Male Behavior
 Polygynous
 Males compete for females
 Experience musth
 Hormonal state of increased aggression
 Secretes a fluid from the temporal gland
 Begins at ages 15-25 years old
 Behavior during musth
 Walk more erect
 Rub side of heads on trees or bushes to spread their scent
 Lower calling
 Urination on inside on hind legs
(Connor, 2015)
https://en.upali.ch/musth/

8. Female Behavior
 Go through 4 stages during estrous:
 Wariness
 Estrous walk
 Leaves her family group and walks with head held high and looks for male to be
following her from behind
 Chase
 Consortship
 Physical touch between male and female
(Connor, 2015)
http://mobile7233.herewego43.loan/?utm_medium=NQ3aDvyuBCta
fRQJPeFC66tm%2bMNW8T%2baflxP0d0AJGo%3d&t=main5

9. Mating
 Estrous lasts about 2 days occurring every
15 weeks
 Musth
 Younger males go into musth during
the dry season
 Older males go into musth during wet
season (which is when more females go
into estrous)
 Males approach females
 Uses dominance to win over females
and keep other males away
https://www.elephantvoices.org/elephant-
sense-a-sociality-4/elephants-are-long-
lived.html
(Connor, 2015)

10. Gestation
 Last about 20-22 months
 Give birth to one young
Twins are very rare
 Newborns can stand and start
drinking milk within an hour
https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/animals-and-
nature/mammals/mammals-and-their-young/
(Connor, 2015)

11. Raising Young
 Nurse young up to 6 and a half years
 Vegetation is started in youngs diet after one year of
life
 Allosuckling can occur
 Where other females in the group will nurse other
females young
 Reach sexual maturity between ages 11-14 years old
 Reaching sexual maturity depends on things like
climate, habitat, and diet of the young
(Connor, 2015)
https://iso.500px.com/baby-elephant-photos/

12. African Elephant Males Fighting
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQDhaJy14oU
 African male elephants fighting for dominance over other males

13. African Elephant Sound Clip
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=153xbn1k2H8

14. Reference
 Williams, H. (December 12, 2013). Amazing elephant anatomy. Retrieved
from https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/amazing-elephant-
anatomy-9001081.html
 Connor, T. (2015). Loxodonta cyclotis African Forest Elephant. Retrieved
from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Loxodonta_cyclotis/#behavior