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Elephants are huge herbivores and the largest land mammals in the world. Easily distinguishable by their gray skin, long trunk, and large ears, elephants are some of the smartest animals in the world. Elephants are incredibly fascinating animals – from expressing grief and grief to playing a key role in maintaining the shape of a landscape. Moreover, they can live for quite a long time, about 70 years. Here we will find out exactly how old the oldest elephant in the world is and see how elephants compare to other mammals.
How many species of elephants are there?
Today, there are three recognized species of elephants: African bushes, African forests, and Asian. There are also three subspecies of the Asian elephant – Sumatran, Sri Lankan and Indian.
Where elephants live depends on their species: African and Asian elephants never come into contact with each other. African bush elephants live in the forests, grasslands and wetlands of Central and South Africa, while African forest elephants prefer the rainforests of Central and West Africa. Meanwhile, Asian elephants usually live in the meadows and deciduous forests of Asia. The Indian subspecies is found on mainland Asia, Sri Lankan elephants are native to Sri Lanka, and Sumatran elephants are native to Sumatra.
Differences between species of elephants
There are only minor differences between the African forest elephant and the African bush elephant, the most noticeable difference being their tusks. The tusks of African forest elephants are straighter and downward, while those of African bush elephants are curved outward. In addition, African bush elephants are generally larger than African forest elephants.
However, there are significant differences between African elephants in general and Asian elephants. One of the most noticeable differences between the two is the “fingers” on the torso. African elephants have two “fingers”, while Asian elephants have only one. There are also noticeable differences between the ears – Asian elephants have much smaller ears than African elephants. Elephants use their ears to dissipate heat, as they have many blood vessels close to the surface of the skin to help them cool. Since African elephants live in a much hotter climate than Asian elephants, they need big ears to keep them cool. Surprisingly, their ears are actually shaped like the African continent.
In addition, African elephants are much taller and heavier than Asian ones. The highest point of the African elephant is the shoulder, and the highest point of the Asian elephant is the crown. In Asian elephants, the head shape is different from that of African elephants, with a “two-headed” head rather than a broad, flat head. African bush elephants are the largest species, weighing about 13,000 pounds and reaching 13 feet at the shoulders. Asian elephants are smaller, with males weighing only 8,800 pounds and reaching about 9 feet. There are also differences between the tusks, as only Asian elephants have tusks. However, both males and females of African elephants can have fangs.
The oldest elephant in the world
The oldest elephant in the world was an Asian elephant named Changallor Daksayani, who is 89 years old. Chengallor Daksayani is a woman who was born in 1930 and died on May 5.th February 2019.She lived at the Tiruvaratu Kavu Temple from the age of 19. From the late 1960s, she moved to the Chenkallur Mahadev temple in India, where she was used in temple rituals and parades.
Before Chengalor Dakshayani, the record was held by another Asian elephant, Lin Wang, who was 86 years old when he died. For many years, Lin Wang was used by the Chinese Expeditionary Forces, along with several other elephants, to transport supplies and artillery pieces. During this time, he participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War and then in the Second World War. After the end of the war, he remained in the army until he became the only elephant left of those with whom he originally served during the war. In 1952, the army transferred him to the Taipei Zoo, where he remained for the rest of his life.
11 oldest elephants that ever lived
Here is a list of 11 of the oldest elephants to ever exist, including the oldest African Bush elephant, the oldest surviving bull elephant in North America, and more:
- Casey (52 years old): The oldest captive African elephant ever recorded. Casey lived at the Kansas City Zoo and lived from 1951 to 2003.
- Sophie (52 years old): One of the oldest captive African elephants in North America in November 2020.
- From (55 years old): An African elephant from the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, 55 years old. Dari passed away in 2015.
- Duleep (55 years old): The oldest surviving bull elephant in North America. As of 2021, Duleep can still be found at the Miami Zoo.
- Tyranza (56 years old): Was an African elephant at the Memphis Zoo that passed away in 2020. At the time of Tyranza’s death, she was the oldest African elephant in North America.
- Saigon (62 years old): One of the last surviving circus elephants in Australia. Saigon can be found at the Sydney Zoo in Australia.
- Shirley (72 years old): Captured in Sumatra in 1948, Shirley spent years in the circus before retiring to the Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary in 1999. At the time of her death in 2021, Shirley was 72 years old and the second oldest elephant in North America.
- Ambika (72 years old): An elephant donated by India to the United States and living at the Washington National Zoo. Ambika passed away in March 2020.
- Rani (83 years old)Rani was born in 1938 and lived at the zoo in Hyderabad, India until her death in June 2021. She was the third oldest elephant ever to live after her death.
- Lin Wang (86 years old): An elephant that lived from 1917 to 2003. Lin Wang served during World War II and lived the rest of his life at the Taipei Zoo.
- Changallor Kakshayani (89 years old): The oldest elephant ever to live in captivity, its lifespan ranged from 1930 to 2019.
Do elephants live longer than other mammals?
Despite the fact that elephants can live to an impressive age for an animal, they are actually not the only mammals with a long lifespan. We humans are some of the longest-living land mammals, with the oldest recorded age being 124 years.
However, the longest-living mammal is actually the bowhead whale, which has a lifespan of over 200 years. Incredibly, this has indeed been confirmed, as stone harpoon heads were found on several bowhead whales after they died. Scientists were then able to date the spearheads to give an accurate estimate of the age of the whales.
Elephant behavior
Most elephants live in herds, led by the oldest and largest female, who is a matriarch. The matriarch is respected by the entire flock and is one that others look at as a decision-maker. Females give birth about once every four years and the gestation period is 22 months, making it the longest gestation of any mammal. Baby elephants are called calves and are tended by other females in the herd as well as their mother.
Males and females live separately as young males leave the herd at about 15 years of age and join the “bachelor herd” with other young males. When fully ripe, they usually break off and become loners. Males do not mate with females until they are about 20 years old, as then they become strong enough to compete with other males.
Elephants are not only majestic, but also very intelligent. They can remember places and people for years and can express multiple emotions, including joy, anger, grief, and compassion. When a herd of elephants stumbles upon the remains of a deceased elephant, they usually touch the body with their trunk. They also cover the body with leaves and twigs to bury them. If a member of their own herd dies, they often stay with them for days or even weeks, watching over them in times of tribulation.
Elephants also like to wallow in the mud and use their trunks to spray water on their backs. However, there is an important reason why they do this, as it helps remove parasites and insects from the skin. Once the dirt has dried on their skin, they rub against a hard surface, which then removes the parasites.
Ecosystem and conservation
Unfortunately, elephants are under serious threat. African bush elephants and Asian elephants are classified as endangered, while African forest elephants are endangered. In fact, it is believed that elephants could even become extinct within twenty years if things don’t change.
Their natural predators are lions, hyenas and crocodiles, although they usually only hunt young, sick or injured animals. However, humans are the greatest threat to elephants, especially from poaching. Elephants are hunted for their ivory tusks and even for meat in some areas. Habitat loss is another major threat to elephants from things like deforestation. Much is being done to protect elephants, including maintaining the elephant corridors. These are narrow strips of land connecting two larger habitats that elephants can travel through without human contact.
However, in fact, elephants play an incredibly important role in maintaining the ecosystem and in the conservation of other animals. They help shape their habitat, and during dry seasons they use their tusks to pluck dry riverbeds and create new watering places. In addition, in the bushes, they uproot trees, which leave the plains open to animals such as zebras, antelopes and wildebeests. In forests, elephants use their size to make trails for smaller animals to traverse through the undergrowth. This makes them vital for many habitats and for the survival of many other species.
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