Animal Profile: African Elephant

African elephants can weigh over six tons making it the worlds largest land mammal. It uses its large trunk for smelling, breathing, detecting vibrations, grasping objects and more. The male and females have tusks, this is the main reason why they are poached, to obtain the ivory inside of them. Their large ears are highly functional to, they can hear other elephants call from almost six miles away. Trying to breed the elephants is difficult too because pregnancies last around two years.
African elephants are also a keystone species, there dung spreads the seeds of over 90 different plant species.

 

"African Elephant." Animal Fact Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2013. <http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/african-elephant/>.