Elephant African and Indian Elephant: Major Differences and Similarities

Elephant - one of the largest representatives of the animal world, existing on Earth. Earlier on our planet there were many varieties of these giants. Today, among us, the elephant is an African and Indian elephant. This species of animals included mammoths that died out during the glacial period, and mastodons that disappeared before the appearance of people in America, where they lived. The difference between the two remaining species is significant, so it would be appropriate to compare African and Indian elephants.

Features of life

These animals can be found on various territories of the Earth. They live in a herd, in which there can be from ten to thirty little elephants and elephants. Also, there must be an adult, authoritative leader.

Each elephant gives birth on average for his life about five elephants. The relatives in the herds are very close. So, there are groups in which about one hundred individuals are connected by blood ties. The elephants do not have a definite place of residence. They are in motion all their life, moving from place to place, eating vegetation and spending the night near a pond.

The main difference

What is the difference between an Indian and an African elephant? The most important difference between these two species is visible to the naked eye. This is the size. Elephant African and Indian elephant in nature do not occur in the same area. Their habitats are located at a distance from each other, and transporting animals is a laborious process. But if it were real, you could notice that the African elephant is larger than its fellow from India.

The largest elephant reaches a height of 4 meters. The length of his body at the same time is about 7 meters. The weight of an African elephant can reach 7 tons. In contrast, the Indian elephant weighs a maximum of 5 tons. Its growth can be about 3 meters, and the length - 5-6 meters. It is believed that the African elephant is a descendant of a mastodon, and an Indian elephant is a mammoth.

Ears and tusks

The African elephant differs from the Indian in a few details of appearance. First, the animals from Africa have much more ears than their Indian counterparts. They can have a length of up to 1.5 meters. The shape of the ears of an African elephant is more rounded. The Indian elephant has slightly elongated and slightly pointed ears. One of the most distinctive features between these two species is the presence of tusks. The African representatives of the fauna are obligatory.
This applies to both males and females, whose tusks are slightly shorter. The presence of tusks in animals from India is a rarity. And if they meet, then only in males. Such individuals in India are called Makhna. Tusks of Indian elephants are not very long and practically straight. Despite the fact that the African and Indian elephant are related, the differences between them are significant.

Body color and structure

Elephant African and Indian elephant also differ in color. Animals from Africa have a skin color from slightly brown to gray. There are a lot of folds or wrinkles on its surface. Indian elephants have a color ranging from dark gray to brown. A distinctive feature of their body is a small vegetation on the skin.

What is the difference between an African and an Indian elephant? The structure of their body is also not the same. So, Indian elephants have a little back with a hump, unlike their counterparts from Africa who have a straight or slightly bent spine. Despite less growth, animals from India seem more massive. This is due to the fact that their legs are shorter and thicker. African elephants have long legs, which is due to their type of food.

They have to get vegetation from the trees. Indian animals also feed on grass in the form of grass. Their trunk has one finger-shaped process, and representatives of the African species have two.

If we consider the traces of these animals, then it is possible to say with certainty what kind of elephant passed here. This is possible due to the peculiarities of the structure of the extremities of these giants from different continents. African elephants have, as a rule, five hoofs on the front legs (rarely - four). The hind legs of these animals have three hoofs. Indian elephants have five hooves on the front legs and 4 on the back. Therefore, even on the trail you can determine the type of animal.

Internal structure

African and Indian elephant differences are external, to see which may not even be an expert in this field. Coming to the zoo or circus, you can easily identify the species of animals. But they also have some internal features that an ordinary person can not recognize.

So, the African elephant has 21 pair of ribs. In contrast, an animal from another continent has only 19 pairs of these bones. Indian elephants have 26 caudal vertebrae, while their African counterparts have 33 caudal vertebrae. There are differences in the structure of molars.

In Indian elephants, puberty occurs by 15-20 years. In this they are ahead of their relatives from the African continent. In the latter, this period occurs at the age of 25 years.

Characteristics of character

Differences between animals are not only in their internal and external structure, but also in their character and temperament. Indian elephants are very friendly and get on well with people. They are easier to tame than people use, attracting these giants to perform hard work (for example, for the carriage of goods). Indian elephants are also easier to train, so they often perform in the circus. Animals from the African continent are more aggressive. They are harder to tame, but it's possible to do it. They mostly live in natural conditions. But there are examples of the use of these animals. For example, African elephants many centuries ago participated in the campaigns of Hannibal.

Habitat

Features of the structure of elephants depend largely on their habitat. Indian elephants are common in parts of India, Burma, East Pakistan, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sumatra, Ceylon and Malacca. Their habitats are dense forests with tall grasses. African elephants are found in many parts of Africa, and more specifically in Botswana, Ethiopia, Namibia. Their habitat is diverse. However, these giants can not be found in deserts and semi-deserts. Elephant African and Indian elephant are related animals, each of which is interesting in its own way.