header: African Elephant
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line Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach, 1797)

INTRODUCTION

The largest living terrestrial mammal (shoulder height to 290 cm; weight to 7,500 kg), the African Elephant is gregarious by nature, with a social structure organised around females and calves. Each family unit usually contains about 10 individuals, although several family units may join together to form a 'clan' consisting of 6 to 70 members led by a large female.11 The African Elephant occasionally occurs in herds of hundreds or even thousands; these are thought to be temporary associations which form during drought, human interference, or other disruptions of the normal pattern of social life.11 Small, temporary associations of males also exist; the members of such groups join and leave at will.11 An adult bull joins a family group only when a female therein is in oestrus.11

Sexual maturity is reached after 10 years in males and 11 in females; unlike the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), both sexes carry tusks. Usually, a single calf is born every 2.5 to 9 years with a gestation period of 22 months. Females can remain fertile until 55-60 years old.11 Home ranges vary in size between 14 and 3,120 km2. The diet of elephants consists mainly of grasses, bushes, fruit, and the bark, leaves and branches of trees.11


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