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You are here: Home / Geography / What Is the Difference Between Asian Elephants and African Elephants and Which Elephant Is Larger?

What Is the Difference Between Asian Elephants and African Elephants and Which Elephant Is Larger?

March 19, 2020 by Karen Hill

African elephants are larger; in fact, they’re the largest land animals on Earth.

African elephants can weigh up to 8 tons (7,500 kg) and stand about 10 to 13 feet tall at the shoulder.

Asian (or Indian) elephants are slightly shorter and weigh about 6 tons (5,500 kg).

Probably the easiest way to tell the difference between Asian and African elephants is to compare the size of their ears: the Asian elephant’s ears are much smaller.

People in Asia use elephants for logging and other work purposes.

In Africa, elephants continued to be killed by humans for their ivory tusks.

As humans in both Africa and Asia expand their settlements, both types of elephants are losing places to live.

The Asian elephant is an endangered species, and the African elephant is a threatened species.

International organizations use the term “endangered” to refer to animals and plants currently in danger of becoming extinct.

“Threatened” species are those that are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future if preventive measures are not taken.

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  • How Intelligent are Elephants and Can Elephants Make Art, Music and Use Tools?
  • Why is the African Elephant Species Not Used as a Working Animal or Beast of Burden?
  • When were Elephants First Domesticated in Asia and are Elephants still Used as Transportation in India?
  • How is the Elephant Important in Ancient Mythology and Do Elephants Fear Mice?

Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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