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'''Elephants''' are two species of large land mammals belonging to the family Elephantidae, the only extant family belonging to the order Proboscidea. The two elephant species currently recognized by scientists are the African elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') and the Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''). Centuries of hunting elephants for their ivory has reduced the population of these animals.  Renewed efforts at stewardship have caused a population increase in Africa over the past nineteen years. <ref>IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group (2013).  [http://www.elephantdatabase.org/preview_report/2013_africa/Loxodonta_africana/2012/Africa "2012 continental totals"].  ''2013 Provisional African Elephant Status Report''.  Retrieved from Elephant Database on October 17, 2014.</ref>

'''Elephants''' are two species of large land mammals belonging to the family Elephantidae, the only extant family belonging to the order Proboscidea. The two elephant species currently recognized by scientists are the African elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') and the Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''). Centuries of hunting elephants for their ivory has reduced the population of these animals.  Renewed efforts at stewardship have caused a population increase in Africa over the past nineteen years.<ref>IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group (2013).  [http://www.elephantdatabase.org/preview_report/2013_africa/Loxodonta_africana/2012/Africa "2012 continental totals"].  ''2013 Provisional African Elephant Status Report''.  Retrieved from Elephant Database on October 17, 2014.</ref>

==Description==

==Description==

Elephants are the largest land animals alive today. The largest elephant ever recorded (the Fenykovi elephant, now in the [[Smithsonian Institution]]) was a male shot in [[Angola]] in 1955; it weighed about 10.7 tonnes (12 U.S. tons) and stood 13 feet, 2 inches at the shoulder<ref>http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/thisday/march.htm</ref><ref>http://www.cardcow.com/151863/african-bush-elephant-animals-elephants/</ref>. The slightly-smaller Asian elephant had a maximum recorded height of 11 feet 9 inches and eight tons in one individual recorded in 1985.  Forest elephant bulls rarely exceeding eight feet in height.

Elephants are the largest land animals alive today. The largest elephant ever recorded (the Fenykovi elephant, now in the [[Smithsonian Institution]]) was a male shot in [[Angola]] in 1955; it weighed about 10.7 tonnes (12 U.S. tons) and stood 13 feet, 2 inches at the shoulder.<ref>http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/thisday/march.htm</ref><ref>http://www.cardcow.com/151863/african-bush-elephant-animals-elephants/</ref>  The slightly-smaller Asian elephant had a maximum recorded height of 11 feet 9 inches and eight tons in one individual recorded in 1985.  Forest elephant bulls rarely exceeding eight feet in height.

Apart from their massive size their most striking features are a long trunk, or proboscis, a flexible nose strong enough to lift heavy objects.  Their skin is up to 1.5 inches thick and gray in color, with the skin of African bush elephants more heavily wrinkled than their Asian counterparts.  All three species possess ivory tusks, but they are generally lacking in female Asian elephants unless rudimentary in size, and even then are only seen when the mouth is open.  The legs are columnar and massive; the feet are broad and round.  

Apart from their massive size their most striking features are a long trunk, or proboscis, a flexible nose strong enough to lift heavy objects.  Their skin is up to 1.5 inches thick and gray in color, with the skin of African bush elephants more heavily wrinkled than their Asian counterparts.  All three species possess ivory tusks, but they are generally lacking in female Asian elephants unless rudimentary in size, and even then are only seen when the mouth is open.  The legs are columnar and massive; the feet are broad and round.  

===Species===

===Species===

African elephants are represented by two subspecies<ref>http://worldwildlife.org/species/african-elephant</ref>:

African elephants are represented by two subspecies:<ref>http://worldwildlife.org/species/african-elephant</ref>

*Bush, or savannah elephant (''Loxodonta africana africana''), of the savannahs and grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa;

*Bush, or savannah elephant (''Loxodonta africana africana''), of the savannahs and grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa;

*Forest elephant (''Loxodonta africana cyclotis''), of the tropical rain forests in central Africa.

*Forest elephant (''Loxodonta africana cyclotis''), of the tropical rain forests in central Africa.

*Sumatran elephant (''Elephas maximus sumatranus''), of the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in [[Indonesia]].

*Sumatran elephant (''Elephas maximus sumatranus''), of the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in [[Indonesia]].

Bull elephants, when inclined to mate, enter a frenzied state called ''musth''; they fight with each other for possession of the cow elephants, and become a menace to everything in their path; many humans are killed at this time. Elephants' gestation period, at 22 months, is the longest of any land mammal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kg (265 lb). An elephant may live as long as 70 years, sometimes longer.

Bull elephants, when inclined to mate, enter a frenzied state called ''musth''; they fight with each other for possession of the cow elephants, and become a menace to everything in their path; many humans are killed at this time. Elephants' gestation period, at 22 months, is the longest of any land mammal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120&nbsp;kg (265&nbsp;lb). An elephant may live as long as 70 years, sometimes longer.

==Uses of Elephants==

==Uses of Elephants==

==Similar and related species==

==Similar and related species==

From a molecular and morphological point of view, [[hyrax]]es and [[Sirenia]]ns (sea cows and manatees) are the most similar living creatures to elephants<ref>Hidenori Nishihara et al. A Retroposon Analysis of Afrotherian Phylogeny. ''Molecular Biology and Evolution'' '''22''': 1823-1833,</ref>, and these groups are hypothesized by evolutionists to have shared a common ancestor approximately 50 million years ago.

From a molecular and morphological point of view, [[hyrax]]es and [[Sirenia]]ns (sea cows and manatees) are the most similar living creatures to elephants,<ref>Hidenori Nishihara et al. A Retroposon Analysis of Afrotherian Phylogeny. ''Molecular Biology and Evolution'' '''22''': 1823-1833,</ref> and these groups are hypothesized by evolutionists to have shared a common ancestor approximately 50 million years ago.

Creationists say that each [[baraminology|kind]] was separately created, and that two of the elephant kind were on board [[Noah's Ark]], and from these all elephants alive today are descended.       

Creationists say that each [[baraminology|kind]] was separately created, and that two of the elephant kind were on board [[Noah's Ark]], and from these all elephants alive today are descended.       

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==Also See==

==See also==

*[[Elephant in the living room]]

*[[Elephant in the living room]]

[[Category:Mammals]]

[[Category:Mammals]]

[[category:Pachyderms]]

[[Category:Pachyderms]]