African elephant herd
African elephants are the world's largest terrestrial animals. The trunk, an extension of the upper lip and nose, is used for communication and handling objects including food. African elephants have 2 opposing extensions at its end, in contrast to the Asian elephant which only has one. Tusks, which are large modified incisors that grow throughout an elephant's lifetime, occur in both males and females and are used in fights and for marking, feeding, and digging. The other notable feature of African elephants is their very large ears, which allow them to radiate excess heat. Two subspecies are recognized: Savanna (or bush) elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) 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 downward pointing. There are also differences in the size and shape of the skull and skeleton between the two subspecies.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Kenya
Photo credit: © TomsPhotos / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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