African Elephant

They are native to 37 countries in Africa. They are losing more and more of their habitat. the female elphants live with the herds with their young, but adult males have a tend to roam on their own. They range throughout sub-Saharan Africa and in the rain forets of cantral and West Africa. The norhternmost elephants are found in Mali's Sahel desert. The small herd of Mali elephants migrate in a circular route through the desert in search of water.

African elephants wiegh about 2.5 to 7 tons. Their height is 8.2 to 13 ft at their shoulders.They can live up to 70 years. They are the largest land mammals. They normaly walk about 4 mph.
They spend about 16 hours a day eating. They can consume anywhere from 300-495 pounds of food per day. They are herbivores so they manly eat plants.

It was estimated that nearly 7-10 million elephants existed in the 1930's. Today ther is estamated about 450,000 to 700,000 African elephants alive today. Habitat is a major cut back which results to having less African elephants. Ivory trade is another threat to the Afican elaphants.

Elphants are important to the eviroment because they help maintain forest and savanna ecosystems. They are also integrally tied to rich biodiversity.
The most common threat to elephants today is large-scale poaching to supply the illegal ivory trade. another threat that faces them is in Africa includes conflicts with humans and habitat loss and degradation. They are losing their ancient migrating routes also, this is from humans expanding settlements, plantaion deveopments, and the construction of roads, canals and pipe lines.