The elephant is one of the largest representatives of the animal world existing on Earth. There used to be many varieties of these giants on our planet. Today, an African elephant and an Indian elephant live among us. This species of animals included mammoths, which became extinct during the ice age, and mastodons, which disappeared before the appearance of people in America, where they lived. The difference between the two remaining species is significant, so it would be appropriate to compare the African and Indian elephants.
Life features
These animals can be found in various territories of the Earth. They live in a herd, in which there can be from ten to thirty little elephants and elephants. Also, it must have an adult, authoritative leader.
Each elephant gives birth to an average of about five elephants during its life. Family ties in herds are very close. So, there are groups in which about a hundred individuals are connected by blood ties. Elephants do not have a specific place of residence. All their lives they are in motion, moving from place to place, eating vegetation and spending the night near a reservoir.
Main difference
What is the difference between the Indian and African elephant? The most important difference between the two species is visible to the naked eye. These are the sizes. Elephant African and Indian elephant in nature do not occur in the same locality. Their habitats are located remotely from each other, and the transportation of animals is a time-consuming process. But if this were real, then one would notice that the African elephant is larger than its counterpart from India.
The largest elephant reaches a height of 4 meters. The length of his body is about 7 meters. The weight of the African elephant can reach 7 tons. In contrast, the Indian elephant weighs a maximum of 5 tons. Its growth can be about 3 meters and a length of 5-6 meters. It is believed that the African elephant is a descendant of the mastodon, and the Indian elephant is a mammoth.
Ears and Tusks
The African elephant differs from the Indian in several details of appearance. Firstly, animals from Africa have much larger ears than their Indian counterparts. They can have a length of up to 1.5 meters. The shape of the ears of the African elephant is more rounded. The Indian elephant has slightly elongated and slightly pointed ears. One of the most obvious distinguishing features between the two species is the presence of tusks. African representatives of the fauna have them without fail.
This applies to both males and females, whose tusks are slightly shorter. The presence of tusks in animals from India is a rarity. Moreover, if they are found, then only in males. Such individuals are called mahna in India. The tusks of Indian elephants are not very long and almost straight. Despite the fact that the African and Indian elephants are related, the differences between them are significant.
Body color and structure
Elephant African and Indian elephant are also distinguished by color. Animals from Africa have a skin color from slightly brown to gray. On its surface there are a lot of folds or wrinkles. Indian elephants are dark gray to brown. A distinctive feature of their body is a small vegetation on the skin.
What is the difference between the African and Indian elephant? The structure of their body is also not the same. So, Indian elephants have a little back with a hump, in contrast to their counterparts from Africa, who have a straight or slightly curved spine. Despite their smaller stature, animals from India seem more massive. This is because their legs are shorter and thicker. African elephants have long legs, due to their type of food.
They have to get vegetation from the trees. Indian animals also eat pasture in the form of grass. Their trunk has one finger-shaped process, and the representatives of the African species have two.
If we consider the traces of these animals, then we can confidently say what kind of elephant passed here. This is possible due to the structural features of the limbs of these giants from different continents. African elephants usually have five hooves on their front legs (less often four). The hind limbs of these animals have three hooves. Indian elephants have five hooves on their front legs and 4 on their hind legs. Therefore, even on the trail, you can determine the type of animal.
Internal structure
The differences between the African and Indian elephants are external, which even a specialist in this field can not see. Arriving at the zoo or circus, you can easily determine the type of animals. But they also have some internal features that an ordinary person cannot recognize.
So, the African elephant has 21 pairs of ribs. In contrast, an animal from another continent has only 19 pairs of these bones. Indian elephants have 26 caudal vertebrae, and their African counterparts have 33 caudal vertebrae. There are differences in the structure of molars.
In Indian elephants, puberty occurs in 15-20 years. In this they are ahead of their relatives from the African continent. In the latter, this period begins at the age of 25 years.
Character Features
Differences between animals are not only in their internal and external structure, but also in their character and temperament. Indian elephants are very friendly and get along well with people. They are easier to tame, which is what people use, attracting these giants to perform heavy work (for example, for transporting goods). Indian elephants are also easier to train, so they often perform in a circus. Animals from the African continent are more aggressive. It’s harder to tame, but it’s possible. Mostly they remain living in natural conditions. But there are examples of the use of these animals. For example, African elephants participated in the campaigns of Hannibal many centuries ago.
Habitat
The structural features of elephants depend largely on their habitat. Indian elephants are common in parts of India, Burma, East Pakistan, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sumatra, Ceylon and Malacca. Their habitats are dense forests with tall grasses. African elephants are found in many parts of Africa, and more specifically in Botswana, Ethiopia, Namibia. Their habitat is diverse. However, these giants cannot be found in deserts and semi-deserts. African and Indian elephants are related animals, each of which is interesting in its own way.