AFRICAN ELEPHANT

BIOME

• The African Elephant is a part of the Savanna biome
• Fun fact: Savanna elephant's tusks curve outwards
• Forest elephant's tusks point downwards and are straighter

CONTINENTS & COUNTRIES

• These elephants can be found in 37 African countries
• Southern, Eastern, and Central Africa
• Chad, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania

FOOD PYRAMID

• Elephants are primary consumers
• Second level of the pyramid
• They are herbivores and only eat types of vegetation

FOOD SOURCE

• Elephant's love to graze on any foliage such as:
• Bushes, grass
• Tree bark
• Roots, twigs
• Fruit

ELEPHANT'S NICHE

• Tear bark off trees
• Make bigger water holes
• Disperse seeds
• Defoliate

African elephants are the largest land mammal on Earth. Being a large animal requires a very large appetite. This species eats about 300 pounds of leaves, fruit, and twigs everyday. They drink about 65 to 95 liters of water everyday. An elephant's pregnancy lasts 22 months, in that time the female consumes around 6,000 to 13,000 pounds of grazed food.

These animals can weigh up to 14,000 pounds and are usually 12 feet tall. An average life span is 70 years, an elephant starts to die when their molars wear down so they can't eat. A female is always the leader of the herd and calves are dependent on their mothers until they are three years old. At night, the adults from a circle around calves so it is hard for predators to attack. Their large bodies and thick skin make it a challenge for leopards, lions, and jaguars to feed. The elephant's ears radiate heat to keep their bodies cool in the savanna.

The African elephant is an endangered species because of poaching. Poaching is illegal, but that has not stopped hunters. These animals are hunted for their ivory tusks, which are very valuable and very expensive. Natives choose to eat elephant meat. They are endangered because of humans.

There are many federations dedicated to protecting elephants. The International Elephant Foundation focuses on educating people and researching about endangered elephants. This foundation's goal is to protect and conserve elephants for future generations. It's a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of elephants. Many countries have made poaching illegal, which has helped the population.

You can join elephant conversation organizations and donate any amount of money to saving this population. The best way to help is donating! You can spread the word by letting people know about elephants endangerment. Knowledge is power. Help one African elephant today and help save the future generations!

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CITATIONS

• http://www.elephantconservation.org/about-ief/our-mission/
• http://worldwildlife.org/species/african-elephant
• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-elephant/
• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_animal_page.htm
• http://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/elephants/diet-and-eati...