African elephant
Loxodonta africana
Species, also called savanna elephant, belonging to the family of elephants, named by Blumenbach, 1797.
Taxonomy
The African elephant - (Loxodonta africana) is (or rather was, they will soon be upgraded to species) divided into two subspecies:
- African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana africana)
- African forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis)
position statement from the African Elephant Specialist Group (pdf)
There was also a northern subspecies, Loxodonta africana pharaoensis, which seems to have come extinct in the roman time.
Distribution and Population
Today, the african elephant occor in 37 countries in Africa. There are abt 550 000 african elephants left in the world, half as many as 1979, between 1979 and 1989 abt 50% of the worlds population was shot or poached, because of the high demand of ivory.
Reproduction
- Sexual maturity at about 8 years
- Gestation period 22 months
- Birth weight 75-120 kgs
Links
Literature
African Elephants: A Celebration of Majesty by Daryl Balfour (Photographer), Sharna Balfour (Photographer), Iain Douglas-Hamilton, John Hanks (Foreword), Daphne Sheldrick. Hardcover: 168 pages.
Films
Africa's Elephant Kingdom DVD