The Indian and African elephants are two different genera from the elephant family. They differ both in appearance and in nutrition and behavior. The African representative of these large animals is much larger both in height and weight, has larger ears and tusks. They differ in character, behavior and nutrition.
Differences between African and Indian elephants in appearance
African and Indian elephants belong to the elephant family and descend from a single ancestor who lived several million years ago. Today they belong not only to different species, but also to different genera under the same names. The genus of African elephants is presumably divided into savannah and forest, it is also possible to distinguish East African elephants, but biologists have not yet decided this issue unambiguously. The Indian genus has only one modern species called the Asian elephant, the rest of this genus have become extinct.
It is quite easy to distinguish elephants from Africa and India by their appearance if you know a few characteristic features. First of all, this is size - African elephants are taller, larger and heavier. They grow up to four to five meters in height, stretch up to 7.5 meters in length, and weigh about 7 tons. Their Indian counterparts rarely measure more than 3 meters and longer than 6, 5, and weigh about 3 tons.
African elephants are wrinkled, and their skin appears to be rougher. They are darker in color, sometimes to a brown color, and their Indian brothers are gray, with smoother skin covered with small hairs.
It is very easy to distinguish elephants by their ears: in Africans they are huge, larger in size than their heads, reaching a length of one and a half meters. They have a rounded shape, protrude slightly upward and are widely spaced on the sides. Indians cannot boast of such large ears: they are modest, a few tens of centimeters, angular and downward, with a pointed end.
Representatives of the African species walk with a straight back, some elephants even have a slightly concave ridge. And the Asian species is characterized by a bulging back, which makes them seem sad and drooping compared to their stately companions from Africa.
Other differences between African and Indian elephants
Differences between different types of elephants are manifested not only in appearance, but also in behavior and lifestyle. For example, Africans feed mainly on branches and leaves on trees: therefore, they are taller and have longer legs. Indian animals are more likely to seek food on the ground, they do not need to be taller.
They also differ in character: Indian elephants are more friendly to humans, they are easy to tame, they are calm and good-natured. The people of India have adapted them for many jobs: they transport goods, perform in the circus, help in other difficult matters. Their African brothers are aggressive, poorly trained, although they can also be domesticated.
