When a calf is born, it usually weighs about 220 pounds (100 kilograms). The elephant and its characteristics Beyond its size, which can exceed 13 feet (4 meters), the elephant has other very striking physical characteristics. " Prolonged Drought Results in Starvation of African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana)." Biological Conservation 203 (2016): 89–96. Thus, this group also includes rhinos, wild boar, and hippopotami.
" The Status of African elephants." World Wildlife Magazine, Winter 2018." Plant Biomass Density as an Indicator of Food Supply for Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) in Waza National Park, Cameroon." Tropical Conservation Science 7.4 (2014): 747–64. " Matriarchs as Repositories of Social Knowledge in African Elephants." Science 292.5516 (2001): 491–94. " African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) Amplify Browse Heterogeneity in African Savanna." Biotropica 43.6 (2011): 711–21. " Orphaning and Natal Group Dispersal Are Associated with Social Costs in Female Elephants." Animal Behaviour 143 (2018): 1–8. Goldenberg, Shifra Z., and George Wittemyer.
Humans (Homo sapiens) hunt these creatures for their ivory tusks and leathery skin. However, these predators are not the problem for the African elephant population. " Rapid Population Growth in an Elephant Loxodonta Africana Population Recovering from Poaching in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania." Oryx 44.2 (2010): 205–12. These predators will attempt to hunt elephants at night, due to the safety level decreasing because the herd cannot see well at night. " Elephant." African Wildlife Foundation."Loxodonta africana." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T12392A3339343, 2008. Unlike Asian elephants, both male and female African elephants have tusks. The tusks weigh from 23–45 kg (51–99 lb) and can be from 1.5–2.4 m (5–8 ft) long. They are used for digging for roots and stripping the bark off trees for food, for fighting each other during mating season, and for defending themselves against predators. Their tusks are teeth the second set of incisors become the tusks. At about 40 to 60 years of age, the elephant no longer has teeth and will likely die of starvation, a common cause of death. Teeth: Elephants have four molars each weighs about 5 kg (11 lb) and measures about 30 cm (12 in) long. For the most part elephants are very healthy so it isn’t often that one is able to become a meal for predators. Since elephants form tight herds it is hard for predators to get them alone unless one falls behind the rest. This is mainly though if one of them is weak or very young.
ELEPHANT PREDATORS SKIN
This means that elephant skin is rough, and thick. They can become prey to many animals including lions and tigers. People who touch an elephant´s skin for the first time often describe it as like an eraser. Skin: Elephants have thick skin, like on the t runk embouchure, legs and back, skin can in fact be 2.5 to 3 cms thick, but behind the ears, by the eye, on the abdomen, chest and shoulders it is as thin as paper. Fully grown male elephants are generally too large but females and especially younger elephants are at risk of being killed by predators. F emales stand 2.2–2.6 m (7.2–8.5 ft) tall at the shoulder. Lions and humans are the primary natural enemies of African elephants but hyenas, African wild dogs, and crocodiles can also pose a threat to elephant calves. Height: Males stand 3.2–4.0 m (10–13 ft) tall at the shoulder.