How much the elephants weigh

Elephants are stunning and beautiful animals characterized not only by their enormous size but also by their great intelligence and memory. At present our planet only has two species of elephants: Africans, larger and with a more wild and independent character that makes them difficult to tame, and Asians smaller and used in some countries to perform tasks of force . We know they are huge but how much do elephants weigh? If you ask, keep reading, because in .com we explain it in the following article.

How much do African elephants weigh?

African elephants are the largest species. These animals at the time of birth can weigh about 100 kilos, a figure that increases as they become adults. When reaching adulthood an African elephant weighs around 6, 000 kilos or 6 tons, although in 1955 a specimen weighing 12, 274 kilos was recorded, the heaviest found so far. These animals reach a height of between 2.7 and 4 meters.

These huge animals can ingest an average of 135 kilos of food per day and drink about 190 liters of water, a large amount that conforms to its immense size.

How much Asian elephants weigh

This species is a little smaller than the African reason why it also has a less weight. Asian elephants weigh around 5, 000 kilos or 5 tons, a volume that for us is simply huge. These are very agile animals that can move easily through uneven terrain, so their weight does not affect their speed. These animals can have a height between 2 and 3.5 meters.

Asian elephants have been domesticated and used by man for centuries in order to transport heavy cargo, so many of them are used to human contact, which must always be carried out with caution because it is an extremely strong animal and powerful.

Curiosities about elephants

• Despite how much has been done to protect them, elephants are at risk of extinction and it is believed that currently there are only 600, 000 specimens in the world. This animal has been hunted especially for the ivory of its fangs, a material that is marketed illegally at present.
• The gestation of elephants takes 22 months, being the longest that until now is known among terrestrial animals. After this period the females will give birth to a single one that breeds, this fact also makes it difficult to repopulate this animal.
• The ears of the African elephant are 3 times larger than those of the Asian, counting on a size so huge that it helps him defend himself from predators and also to point out to his herd about possible threats or other things of interest.
• The ears of this animal are also unique and unrepeatable, like a fingerprint.
• His trunk has about 100, 000 muscles and serves not only to breathe but also to throw objects, defend, scratch and recognize their environment, using it as a kind of hand.