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South Africa Pictures - Wildlife Pictures- Elephants

Elephants are the largest land animals.There are three living species: the African Bush Elephant, the African Forest Elephant and the Asian Elephant (also known as the Indian Elephant).

The elephant's pregnancy period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal.

Elephants live for 50 to 70 years, but the oldest recorded elephant lived for 82 years.

The word "elephant" has its origins in the Greek, meaning "ivory" or "elephant". Healthy adult elephants have no natural predators,although lions may take calves or weak individuals.

They are, however, increasingly threatened by human intrusion and poaching. Once numbering in the millions, the African elephant population has dwindled to between 470,000 and 690,000 individuals according to a March 2007 estimate.

African elephants are distinguished from Asian elephants in several ways, the most noticeable being their ears which are much larger.

The African elephant is typically larger than the Asian elephant and has a concave back. Both African males and females have external tusks and are usually less hairy than their Asian cousins.

Elephants have a very long childhood. They are born with fewer survival instincts than many other animals. Instead, they must rely on their elders to teach them the things they need to know.

Today, however, the pressures humans have put on the wild elephant populations, from poaching to habitat destruction, mean that the elderly often die at a younger age, leaving fewer teachers for the young.

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