What Differences Do Asian & African Elephants Have?

African elephants, the largest land animals, are generally larger than Asian elephants.

The elephant, a herbivorous mammal, is the largest of all terrestrial animals. There are two kinds of elephants, African and Asian. The latter are also known as Indian elephants. Though they are similar in many ways, including in their behavior, the Asian elephant is genetically more closely related to the extinct mammoth than to its African counterpart. A number of physical differences make it possible to distinguish between the two extant varieties.

Body Size and Shape

Male African elephants have an average height of 10.5 feet, according to the San Diego Zoo, and can weigh up to 15,000 lb. Male Asian elephants, on the other hand, average 8.2 to 9.8 feet in height and have an average weight of 11,000 lb. It is also possible to tell African and Asian elephants by looking at the shape of their backs. The former are swaybacked, while the latter have dome-shaped backs.

Ears

Asian, or Indian, elephants have smaller ears than their African counterparts.

All elephants, whose acute hearing is superior to that of humans, flap their ears to radiate heat, which enables them to cool off in hot weather. African elephants, however, have large ears that are shaped like their home continent, whereas Asian elephants have noticeably smaller, rounder ears that do not exceed the height of their necks.

Tusks

Tusks -- the elephantine equivalent of incisor teeth -- are visible in both male and female African elephants. In this sense, however, Asian elephants are more sexually dimorphic in that only the males have visible tusks.

Skin

Though all elephants have wrinkled skin, the skin of Asian elephants has a smoother appearance than that of their African counterparts.

Trunks

Among the distinguishing features of elephants are their long, prehensile trunks, which they use to pick up vegetation and bring their meal to their mouths. Elephants also use their tongues to suck up water, which they then squirt into their mouths. The African elephant, however, has two "fingers" at the end of its trunk, in contrast to the Asian elephant, which only has one.

Musth

Around the age of 20, male Asian elephants enter a stage known as musth, which means "intoxicated" in Hindi. During this phase, the testosterone levels of the elephant rise dramatically and it engages in a fervid competition for females in heat. According to the Honolulu Zoo, musth is less intense in African elephants, which also experience the phase later in life.

Domestication

According to "National Geographic," the Asian elephant is more easily tamed than the African elephant and has therefore been domesticated for thousands of years. Asian elephants have been used to move heavy objects, to transport humans on their backs and in war battles. The majority of elephants that perform in circuses belong to the Asian species.

References

• San Diego Zoo's Animal Bytes: Elephant
• PBS: Nature: Critter Guide: Elephant
• Honolulu Zoo: Indian Elephant
• National Geographic: African Elephant
• National Geographic: Asian Elephant