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Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordate
Class: Mammal
Family: Elephants
Order: Proboscidea
Genus: Loxodonta
Species: Loxodonta cyclotis
Evolution
All Subspecies: one of the two subspecies- Other one is the savanna elephant
How long has this species been in existence: 1.5 million years
Closest living relative to this species: manatees and dugongs
3 ancestors of this species: Primelephas, Mastadons, Mammoths.
Description
Physical description of the animal (with at least 3 pictures)- Smaller and darker than their savanna relative, with characteristically rounded ears and a hairy trunk.
Point key characteristics of species: Their ears are more oval-shaped and their tusks are straighter and point downward.
Size: 8-10 feet
Weight: 4,000 to 12,000 pounds
Life Span: 60-70 years
Differences between Males and Females: Males weighing close to double that of female elephants. As you might expect, the difference in weight also gives male elephants a curvier, wider build.
Description of the Habitat (tropical forests, savannas, grasslands, and woodlands)
How much rainfall: 20-50 inches of rain each year
Plants: Elephant Grass, Acacia, Baobab
Animals: Lions, Giraffes, Zebras, Cheetahs
Temperature: 60-74 degrees
Terrain: Dense rainforests of West and Central Africa.
Distribution
Continents found: West and central Africa.
Invasive at all: Not invasive
Diet
What exactly does it eat: As herbivores, they eat grass, leaves, bark, fruit, and a variety of foliage.
How often does it eat: They eat every day. They need to eat about 350 pounds of vegetation every day.
How does it get it’s food: They forage.
Any special foods: They do not eat any special foods.
Social Structure
Live in packs or solo: They live in family groups of up to 20 individuals
Roles within community: Since the diet of forest elephants is dominated by fruit, they play a crucial role in dispersing many tree species, particularly the seeds of large trees which tend to have high carbon content.
Male or Female led groups: Elephant herds are matriarchal, consisting of related females and their young and are led by the eldest female, called the matriarch.
Individuals that make up the group: African elephants are highly social creatures that live in herds led by older, single female matriarchs. In the savanna, family units consist of about 10 individuals. Sometimes families join together and form a clan of up to 70 members. Male elephants, or bulls, typically live alone.
How do they interact with each other: They socialize only when mating. However when communicating the most common form of communication in these elephants is low calls. These vocalizations are perceived by conspecifics through several kilometers of dense jungle. However, they are too low to be heard by the human ear.
Reproduction
How often do they mate: Elephants do not reach sexual maturity until they are between 14 and 17 years old, most males, however, are mostly unsuccessful at mating until they are much older, and females may only conceive every three to nine years.
How many mates do they have: African elephants are not monogamous.
Time of year for mating: They can mate year-round with the peak periods, occurring during the wet season.
Mating rituals: An erect walk, rubbing of the head on tree trunks and flapping of the ears to disperse the musth scent, low-pitched calls, and slow urination are all behaviors that attracts females, letting them know that the male is in musth and is ready to mate.
Number of offspring produces at a time: seven offsprings
Any unique characteristics of their mating: African forest elephants have a polygynous mating system, where males compete for their mating rights.
Development
Stages of development: Infancy, Adolescent, and adulthood.
How old before sexual maturity: Elephants do not reach sexual maturity until they are between 14 and 17 years old.
Activities and environment of stages: There is none- they migrate with their heard.
Difference between males and females: Other then basic anatomy differences there are no main ones between the two genders.
Causes of death
Predation: Three main causes of death is natural death and ivory poaching.
Sexual Competition: Often high due to males competing with each other however the reproduction rate of these elephants fall at 6%.
Disease: Tuberculosis is a major health threat and is a growing problem in both African and Asian elephants, threatening their long-term health as individuals and as species. Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium.
Other causes: One main cause that is increasingly threatening this species is habitat loss.
Competition
Inter-species – within the species: Most of the time they do not have conflicts with each other but if they do it is during mating time.
Intra-species – with other species: Cattle and zebras- eat grass.
What do they compete over: They compete over water, land (grazing and staying on), and food sources that other animals also rely on.
Affect of invasive species: There is none threatening them.
IUCN Rating
What is the rating? Critically Endangered
Population: 415,000 Elephants
Population Trend: African elephant populations have shrunk by 98% since 1500.
Impact of Humans
What impacts have occurred: Forest elephants are primarily threatened by poaching for bushmeat and ivory. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed each year to meet the illegal international demand for ivory.
Potential Future impacts: With deforestation taking away their habitat/homes and the ivory trade killing them they are on route to becoming extinct.
How long have humans been interacting with species: over 1,300 years
Efforts being made to minimize impacts: More government regulations and funding to combat issues threatening the species as well as non profits and other organizations working on conservation efforts.
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