A species
African bush elephant
Loxodonta africana
The largest land animal with surprising relatives
You and the african bush elephant last shared an ancestor about 95 million years ago (on 23 December, if life's history were one year).
The African bush elephant is the largest land animal alive today. That alone is striking, but its family is even more surprising. Its nearest living relatives include tiny hyraxes and manatees. Manatees are big mammals that live in water.
The biggest males can stand up to about 4 metres at the shoulder and weigh up to about 7 tonnes, as heavy as a small truck. Females are smaller, at about 2.5 metres at the shoulder and about 3 tonnes. They have grey, wrinkled skin, huge ears shaped like Africa, and a long trunk ending in two finger-like tips for picking up food. Males and females usually have curved tusks.
These elephants roam open savanna, grassland and woodland in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. They eat grasses, leaves and bark. They keep cool by flapping their big ears to release heat, and by spraying water and rolling in mud to protect their sensitive skin.
Almost two years expecting
A mother is pregnant for about 22 months, almost two years, before her calf is born.
A very long life
In the wild they can live for about 60 to 70 years.
Messages through the ground
Some deep rumbles travel through the ground over very long distances. Some are too low for people to hear but strong enough to feel in the chest.