How much does an elephant weigh on average (in kg, in tons). The largest elephant in the world

The largest of modern terrestrial mammals are elephants. It is not surprising that many people wonder: how many kilograms does an elephant weigh?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to give an exact answer to such vague question quite complicated: each individual elephant, like any other animal, has individual physical parameters, the weight of an adult elephant is very different from the weight of a baby elephant, female elephants are much smaller and lighter than males, and besides, elephants can be different breeds.

However, below we will try to give the most comprehensive answer to this interesting question.

How much does an adult elephant weigh?

The weight of an adult elephant can reach more than twelve tons. However, such record holders are extremely rare. On average, the weight of an adult elephant ranges from 2.5-7 tons, with females weighing almost half as much as males.

It is interesting that with such an impressive weight, elephants are very graceful animals; the plasticity of their movements is truly impressive.

The expression “clumsy as an elephant” has nothing to do with reality, moreover, in many eastern cultures The elephant is a symbol of grace and grace.

The Russian public is accustomed to seeing elephants mainly in cages in zoos, where they are cramped and uncomfortable, apparently this is where the erroneous judgment came from. Elephant behavior in wildlife is a truly breathtaking sight; once you get acquainted with an elephant in its natural habitat, you will never again call this animal a clumsy lump.

What is the mass of a newborn baby elephant?

A newborn elephant calf can weigh from 80 to 140 kg. If an adult elephant does not have in nature natural enemies, then young elephant calves are more vulnerable and can be hunted large predators– and lions, so cubs for a long time are under the careful supervision of the mother elephant.

The growth rate and life expectancy of elephants are comparable to those of humans; elephant calves reach adult size by about 20 years.


However, even a ten-year-old elephant calf can safely walk alone without fear of attack by a predator - its size at this age is already impressive enough to evoke respectful respect among representatives of the animal world.

How much does an African elephant weigh?

African elephant genus at the moment represented by two separate species: savannah elephant and forest elephant. These species do not have many differences; until recently they were considered two subspecies of the same species. At the same time, African forest elephants are significantly smaller in size than their counterparts living in the savannah.

Average weight savannah African elephant is approximately 7 tons for males and 2.8 tons for females. The body length of males of this species ranges from 6 to 7.5 meters, the highest point of their body (shoulders) rises above the ground by 2.4-3.5 meters.

The African savannah elephant became the weight record holder among elephants: a male shot in 1974 in Angola weighed 12.24 tons. This giant was included in the Guinness Book of Records, although posthumously. Unfortunately, the number of African elephants in lately is steadily declining, for several reasons: hunting for ivory, displacement from habitual habitats, deterioration of environment.

How much does an Indian elephant weigh?

Indian, or Asian elephant– second largest land mammal after the savannah elephant. The genus of Indian elephants is represented by three species, which in turn are divided into subspecies.

The male Indian elephant weighs on average about 5 tons, the female - about 2.7 tons. As can be seen from these data, the difference in weight of Indian and African elephants much less than the difference in the weight of their males, the same applies to the size of these animals.


The body length of a male Indian elephant is 5.5-6.4 meters. The smallest subspecies of Indian elephants lives on the island of Kalimantan, also called Borneo. The average weight of these elephants does not exceed 2 tons.

Many people today are interested in knowing how much an elephant can weigh.

By weight, elephants are the heaviest land animals. There are two main types of elephants: the African (Savannah) elephant and the Asian (Indian) elephant.

How much does an African elephant weigh?

Of these, the heaviest by weight is the African elephant; an adult male can reach a weight of up to 7,500 kg (seven and a half tons). The height of the African elephant ranges from three to four meters at the withers, sometimes even higher. There is no land animal that can weigh even half the mass of an African elephant. Female African elephants are smaller, although they are sometimes difficult to distinguish from males. The sizes of females on average are 5.4 to 6.9 m in length, and up to 3 meters in height. The average weight of a female is 2.8 tons.

Pictured is an African elephant

How much does an Indian elephant weigh?

The size of the Indian elephant is much smaller than the African elephant, but it is also impressive - adult males can weigh up to 5.4 tons with a height of 2.5-3.5 meters. Female Indian elephants are smaller than males, weighing on average 2.7 tons. The smallest is the subspecies from Kalimantan, whose weight reaches up to 2 tons.

Pictured is an Asian elephant

We now see that the savannah elephant weighs on average 4 - 7 tons. His little brother from Asia weighs on average 5.4 tons, which is almost 2 tons less than the largest African elephant.

Given their weight, elephants are able to run quickly and make sharp maneuvers. Their structure is unique for their weight, which allows them to travel long distances while conserving energy. You can learn more about the elephant and its abilities on our website. Read the articles using the links below.

Living on land. Its size excites the imagination, since a person is simply short in comparison. However, even among these animals there are those who are clearly superior in size to their counterparts. So let's go on a short educational walk and find out: how much does the most big elephant in the world? Where does he live? And what curious secrets does he hide?

Descendants of ancient giants

The history of the origin of elephants goes back to those distant times when a great cold snap was slowly approaching the earth. If you believe the latest research, the first elephant-like animals were born approximately 1.6 million years ago. They were an accidental genetic error - a mutation that forever separated mastodons into two separate species.

At the same time, over the years, the elephant-like ones also succumbed evolutionary changes. They formed three separate subspecies. Namely mammoths, Indian and First, unfortunately, could not survive to this day. But the other two still walk the lands familiar to us. But the most curious thing is that throughout all these many years they haven't changed much.

Indian and African elephant: who is bigger?

Even in the last century, scientists were confident that all elephants are the same, regardless of the region in which they live. However, later studies have proven that this is not true. In fact, the largest elephant is the African one. An animal from the Dark Continent is ahead of its Asian relative in both body weight and height.

It should also be noted that the African elephant is also divided into two large subspecies: savannah and forest. Moreover, the first one is larger. It follows from this that the largest elephant in the world is the one that lives in the vast African savannas. It is he who holds the title “the largest land animal on the planet.”

Some numbers: how much does an adult elephant weigh?

Let's start, probably, with the smallest representative of the elephant family - Indian, or, as it is also called, This animal lives in Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, India, Vietnam and China. On average, males of this species grow to 2.5-3 m in height, and their weight ranges from 4.0-4.5 tons. Females are much shorter than their male counterparts - they rarely grow more than 2.4 m and weigh about 2-2.5 tons.

The African forest elephant is similar in many ways to its Indian relative. This is especially true of its proportions. Thus, the males of this species grow up to 3 m in height, however, today you rarely see such strong ones. On average, forest elephants reach 2.6 m, and their weight ranges from 2.5-3 tons. Females have approximately the same body proportions and are only slightly inferior to their gentlemen.

As for the savanna subspecies, it is truly the largest elephant on the planet. These giants can grow up to 4 meters in height, and their Weight Limit varies between 5-6 tons. Their body length reaches 6-7 meters. At the same time, females, like other subspecies, are much smaller than their gentlemen.

The biggest elephant in the world: who is he?

If you believe the old archives, the largest elephant was caught by hunters in Angola in the 19th century. Its weight was just under 12.5 tons, and each tusk weighed at least 50 kilograms. However, given how long ago the incident occurred, it is quite difficult to assert the veracity of these documents.

But official data says that the largest elephant is Yossi. This is the name of the 32-year-old African giant, living in the Safari Park near the city of Romat-Gan. The weight of this animal is 6 tons, and its height is 3.7 meters. At the same time, the elephant is still quite young, and therefore there is a high probability that over the next ten years Yossi will grow up.

Some interesting facts about elephants

Few people know that:

• The largest Indian elephant was shot in 1924. His weight was 8 tons and his height was 3.35 m.
• Having strong legs, the elephant is nevertheless the only animal on the planet that cannot jump at all.
• In one day, an adult male can eat about 200 kilograms of plant food and drink 300 liters of water.
• Elephants very rarely kneel or crouch. Moreover, these animals sleep standing up, and only small elephants are able to lie on their sides.
• Despite such large body proportions, an elephant can run at a speed of 40 km/h. While running, he can easily break through a brick wall, and in case of panic, he will completely trample anyone who gets under his feet.

The elephant is the largest land animal on the planet. Its weight depends on its type and origin and can reach 8 tons or more. An angry elephant is very dangerous; in its anger it destroys everything in its path. It is not uncommon for people to die under the powerful feet of elephants.

Types and weight of elephants

If we compare currently existing land animals by their strength and position, then the elephant, the most important and strongest in Africa, will take its place in this chain. Next places will be occupied by a herd of buffaloes, and only after them will the Lion King ascend to this hierarchical ladder. The rest can no longer compare with these lords of the African shrouds in strength, agility and endurance; they easily become prey for lions, who do not refuse the opportunity to hunt larger and stronger animals.

Three species of elephants are known: Forest, Indian and Savannah (African). All of them are included in one mammal - elephants. The first species is the smallest representative of this family. Its height varies between 2.4-2.5 meters, and its weight rarely exceeds 2.7 tons. The Indian elephant is much larger than the Forest elephant, although it is far from its African counterpart. In the ranking of the largest land mammals on the planet, it ranks second. An adult male is 2.5-3.5 meters tall and can weigh up to 5.5 tons.

The African or Savannah elephant has no equal in strength and power; its height can reach 4 meters and its weight can reach 8 tons. Females weigh much less - 3-4 tons; a baby elephant is born weighing 80-140 kg. On November 7, 1974, the largest male elephant ever recorded was shot dead in Mucusso, Angola, weighing 12.24 tons!

How much does an elephant eat and drink?

A quarter of the animal's weight falls on its head. This massive structure has a special device for eating - powerful chewing muscles, molars, a trunk and tusks. An adult weighs the same as 4 rhinos or 4 giraffes. The animal consumes up to 350 kg of food per day and drinks up to 230 liters of water. In search of food, the African elephant travels up to 12 km per day, taking breaks to sleep and rest. Elephants travel in groups, in which members individual families They are very attached to each other, although sometimes there are clashes, as in any family. Fights in the herd are very rare except when males fight over.

Elephantidae (lat. Elephantidae) is a family belonging to mammals of the Chordata type and the order Proboscidea. Today, this fairly large family includes the largest mammals in size, leading a terrestrial lifestyle. The Elephant family includes three species of modern elephants from two genera, as well as several extinct ancient genera of such mammals.

Elephant weight by species

The species African elephants (Lохodontа) includes Savannah elephants(Lohodonta africana), Forest Elephant (Lohodonta syclotis) and Dwarf Elephant (Lohodonta creutzburgi). Species of Indian elephants (Elephas) ​​presented Indian elephant(Elerhas maximus), Cyprus dwarf elephant (Elerhas cypriotes) and Sicilian dwarf elephant (Elerhas falsoneri). The forest straight-tusked elephant (Palaeolochodon antiquus) and many other species are also known.

African elephant weight

Baby elephant weight at birth

Elephants have the longest gestation period of any currently known mammal. Its total duration is 18-21.5 months, but full development the fetus reaches maturity by the nineteenth month, after which it only gradually grows, increasing in weight and size. A female elephant, as a rule, gives birth to one baby, but sometimes a pair of elephant calves are born at once. Average weight The body weight of a newborn cub is 90-100 kg with a shoulder height of about one meter.

Newborn baby elephant has tusks medium length 4-5 cm. Modified teeth fall out in baby elephants by the age of two, in the process of replacing milk teeth with adults. Elephants get to their feet about a couple of hours after birth, after which they begin to actively suck highly nutritious mother's milk. The female, using her trunk, “sprays” dust and soil onto the baby, which makes it easy to dry the skin and effectively mask the smell from predatory animals. A few days after birth, the cubs are already able to follow their herd. When moving, the baby elephant is held by its trunk by its tail. older sister or mother.

Important! Only at the age of six or seven years do young individuals begin to gradually separate from the family clan, and the final expulsion of mature animals occurs in the twelfth year of the mammal’s life.

Absolutely all lactating females in the same herd are involved in feeding elephant calves. The period of milk feeding lasts one and a half or two years, but elephant calves begin to actively eat all kinds of vegetation at the age of six months or seven months. Baby elephants also eat their mother's feces, which allows undigested feces to enter the growing baby's body. nutrients and symbiotic bacteria necessary for the digestion of cellulose. Maternal care for offspring continues for several years.