Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), the African forest elephant (L. cyclotis), and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

African elephants are members of the genus Loxodonta comprising two living elephant species, the African bush elephant (L. africana) and the smaller African forest elephant (L. cyclotis).

The African savanna elephant is the largest elephant species, while the Asian forest elephant and the African forest elephant are of a comparable, smaller size.

The elephant is the largest living land animal. This giant, plant-eating mammal lives in family groups with complex social orders and is capable of remarkable feats of memory – they do say elephants never forget!

(en) E. Gheerbrant, « Paleocene emergence of elephant relatives and the rapid radiation of African ungulates », Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 106, no 26, 30 juin 2009, p. 10717-10721 (DOI 10.1073/pnas.0900251106).

There are two species of African elephants—the savanna (or bush) elephant and the forest elephant. Savanna elephants are larger than forest elephants, and their tusks curve outwards. In addition to being smaller, forest elephants are darker and their tusks are straighter and point downward.

Though the rest of an elephant's skin is strong and thick, its trunk is very soft and sensitive. Elephants avoid Acacia trees with ants because they can bite the inside of an elephant's trunk. [3][4]

An elephant can survive the removal of the tusks, but since the tusks are composed of living tissue, it is very painful and dangerous to the elephant and also reduces its quality of life.

When an elephant gets a whiff of something interesting, it sniffs the air with its trunk raised up like a submarine periscope. If threatened, an elephant will also use its trunk to make loud...

Three elephant species walk the earth today: the African savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana), the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).