The Differences Between African and Asian Elephants

Asian and African elephants are sometimes hard to differentiate between. Today I am going to tell you about some physical features that are essential to distinguish between the two.

Firstly, their ears are different. When stretched out, the ears of an African elephant look like the continent of Africa. Whereas Asian elephants ears are smaller and droop down more. The African elephant uses its large ears to protect itself from the strong sun in Africa.

Another thing that is different is their tusks. In Asian elephants, only the males develop tusks. Both sexes of African elephants grow tusks.

Despite having these physical differences, mentally and emotionally the two types are very similar. African and Asian elephants do not encounter each other in the wild and they are usually kept separate when they are in zoos.

There has only been one incident of cross-breeding between the two. In Chester Zoo in 1978 an Asian elephant was impregnated by an African elephant. Their calf had features that resembled both of them but unfortunately two weeks after his premature birth he died due to stomach complications. A study came back with inconclusive results as to whether or not the calf’s death was an effect of the cross-breading.  

http://knysnaelephantpark.co.za/elephant-management/elephant-information/