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The elephant is the largest land animal in the world. There are three species of elephants, with scientists recently splitting the African elephant into two distinct species. The three types of elephants are the African savanna (or shrub), the African forest, and the Asian elephant. Let’s take a look at all three to see how much these giant creatures weigh.
So, how much does an elephant weigh?
Elephants generally weigh between 4,500 and 11,000 pounds on average. How big an elephant gets depends on which of the three elephant species it is. however, the largest elephant ever weighed 24,000 pounds (more on this below!), so in very rare cases they can weigh really extraordinary weights!
Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, but let’s take a closer look at the weight of different elephant species.
#3 The third heaviest elephant is the African forest elephant.
The African forest elephant lives in the rainforests of West and Central Africa. They have the fewest numbers and are considered endangered. if baby elephants start at 200 lbs and grow to 1-3 tons (4,400-8,800lbs). My minivan weighs 4600 pounds, so it’s about the size of a small African bush elephant!
#2 The second heaviest elephant is the Asian elephant.
The truth is, African forest elephant ranking and asian elephant is a inaccurate science, because you could argue that either one is bigger. Male Asian elephants typically weigh up to 8,800 pounds (comparable to African forest elephants), while females weigh up to about 6,000 pounds. The largest Asian elephant ever recorded weighed about 15,400 pounds. On the other hand, African forest elephants were only recently recognized as a separate species, so it’s hard to say how big they get!
The bottom line is that both elephant species that typically live in forest environments are smaller than the largest elephant on this list, the savanna (or forest elephant) that lives across African plains.
#1 The heaviest elephant is the African forest elephant!
African Forest Elephants live in sub-Saharan Africa on the plains and savannas. Literally the biggest baby, African savanna babies weigh an average of 264 lbs with watt start as big as 364 lbs! Makes sense, because when mature, they can reach 7 tons or more. They range in size from 2.5-7 tons (5,000-14,000 lbs). A large African African bush elephant is about the size of your favorite street taco truck!
Which part of the elephant is the heaviest?
AN research study showed that the brain of an African elephant weighs 10 lbs and has 257 billion neurons! That’s three times bigger and has three times more neurons than a human brain.
An African elephant’s back molars can weigh 11 lbs and grow to 16 inches wide!
- giant ears: 100 pounds EACH
Ears of African elephants are used to keep elephants cool. Their ears can grow up to six feet in length!
- Heavy tusks: 110-175 lbs EACH
Both male and female Africa elephants can grow tusks. The adult male tusks each weigh 110-175 lbs and the female tusks are much smaller at 40-44 lbs.
What is the heaviest elephant ever measured?
If you pick up the Smithsonian website, you will see it! If you want to see it in person, you can travel to the Smithsonian Museum and see it in the lobby, all 11 tons. That’s £24,000! A Hungarian game hunter donated the skin of this huge elephant in 1959. It was shot in Angola and the skin was preserved. The elephant on display has been named “Henry” and is meticulously cleaned and maintained by museum staff. Most rooms have 8ft ceilings so Henry wouldn’t fit. A school bus weighs about 24,000 pounds, the same as Henry. That’s one big elephant!
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