Despite the wide range in size that can occur between the species, each of them make up the top three largest land mammals.
Both species of African Elephant are members of the genus Loxodonta, whereas the Asian Elephant is the only existing species of the genus Elephas.
There are other differences between the African elephant and Asian elephant too, but the size and weight of these animals is truly magnificent.So how much does an elephant weigh exactly?
The heaviest living elephant ever recorded was an African Bush Elephant bull, weighing over 10,000 kg!The heaviest elephants are African Bush Elephants and the lightest are Asian Elephants, specifically the Sumatran and Borneo subspecies.
We will explore the size and weight details of all the different subspecies below.List Of Elephants And Weight FactsThere are only three species of elephant alive today, and many more that have become extinct.
Of those species that are alive today, the African Bush Elephant is the biggest and the Asian Elephants are the smallest.
Here are the size and weight facts about each of the species and subspecies of both extant and extinct elephants.African ElephantsBoth the African Bush Elephant and the African Forest Elephant have often been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant.
African elephants are more wrinkled and have much larger ears than the Asian elephant.
Their underlip is short, broad and rounded and both female and male African elephants have tusks which are thick and curved forward.
African elephants are also larger in size as compared to male and female Asian elephants.African Elephants Alive Today – Size & WeightThere are only two species of African Elephant alive today and both are in danger, included on the IUCN Red List.
This is mostly due to their large brain.The African Bush Elephants mandible is short and wide, and its ears are more pointed than the African forest elephant.
They also have very distinct tusks from the other species of African elephant.
Not only are the Bush Elephants the largest of the existing species of Elephant, but they are the largest land animal alive today on Earth.The largest recorded bush elephant bull, weighed in at a massive 10.4 Metric Tons (10,400 kg – 22,900 lbs), with a shoulder height of 13 feet!
That’s far above the average and the usual weight range.The tallest bush elephant bull ever recorded weighed less than this, at around 8 Metric Tons, but stood 13.8 feet (4.21 m) tall at the shoulders!Weight:Male: Average – 6 Metric Tons (6000 kg).
Range 4,762–7,125 lbs (2,160–3,232 kg)Size:Male: Average shoulder height – 10 ft-13 ft (3.20-4.00 m)Female: Average shoulder height – 7 ft 2 in-8 ft 6 in (2.20-2.60 m)Region: Widely across Eastern and Southern Sub-Saharan Africa with exception to the dense tropical forest areas of Central AfricaIUCN Status: EndangeredAfrican Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis)The African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) was until recently considered a subspecies of the African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana).
However, recent reserach involving DNA confirms that it is in fact a distinct species of its own.Noticeable differences between the two African species include the African Forest Elephants long, narrow mandible (jawbone), its rounded ears, and their size on the whole is considerably smaller than the larger African Elephants of the African Savannas.
In the last decade, more than 60% of these elephants have been killed to poaching for ivory.African Forest elephants are found in lowland tropical and subtropical rainforests and woodlands of central western Africa.
Forest elephant populations are generally believed to be smaller and more endangered than elephant populations elsewhere in Africa, and can also be smaller than Asian elephants too.While they are smaller than the bush elephant, the forest elephants are still the third tallest land animals alive today.
According to one primary research on the African elephant species, the forest elephants can reach between 2 to 4 metric tons.
Other data from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance suggest a weight of between 2.7 and 6 metric tons for both male and female forest elephants.
This seems very unlikely given the different height and width of cows and bulls, which makes that particular data questionable.Weight:Male: Average – 3-4 Metric Tons (3,000/4,000 kg – 6,600/8,800 lbs)Female: Average – 2-3 Metric Tons (2,000/3,000 KG – 4,400/6,600 lbs)Size:Male: Average shoulder height – 7 ft 10 in – 9 ft 10 in (2.4–3 m)Female: Average shoulder height – 5 ft 11 in – 7 ft 10 in (1.8–2.4 m)Region: Guinean Forests and Congolese Rainforest in Central and Western Africa.IUCN Status: Critically EndangeredAfrican Elephants That Are ExtinctNorth African elephant (Loxodonta africana pharaohensis)The North African Elephant may have been a separate species, but was most likely a subspecies of the African bush elephant.
These elephants are mentioned in history, particularly around stories of the Punic wars, where Hannibal and the armies of Carthage were at war with Rome.They are believed to have become extinct following the conquest of North Africa by the Roman Empire, circa 4th Century AD.
These elephants were often hunted and used to take part in the games and this ultimately lead to their extinction.The North African elephant was believed to be about a similar size to the forest elephants of today, and smaller than the Bush elephants.
It was smaller than most other elephants used in war.Anecdotal and speculative evidence suggests these elephants may have stood around 2.5 meters tall at the shoulders, but there is no real data on the weight of these elephants.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Possibly up to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) at the shoulderFemale: Possibly up to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) at the shoulderRegion: Across Northern Africa, above the Sahara.Era: Extinct during Roman era.Loxodonta Atlantica The Loxodonta Atlantica Elephant is a direct ancestor of the Loxodonta africana species of elephant.
Fossilized evidence places this species around north and east Africa.
There is limited details around actual size of this elephant, but we know if was bigger than the African elephants of today.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientRegion: Notable fossil evidence in Ethiopia, Algeria and South Africa.Era: Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene.Loxodonta Exoptata Loxodonta exoptata is the next link in the tree moving back in time for the line of Loxodonta elephants.
Evidence of these elephants places them around eastern Africa, particularly Tanzania and Kenya, around the Pliocene era (5.3 – 2.58 million years ago).Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientRegion: East Africa, fossils found around Tanzania and Kenya.Era: PlioceneLoxodonta Adaurora While modern Loxodonta Africanus elephants of today appear to have evolved down the line from Loxodonta Exoptata, another elephant that existed around the same time, Loxodonta Adaurora seems to have had more in common with the South African Mammoth.
They are believed to have existed around 4.5 million years ago in the Pliocene era, with fossilised evidence found around Kenya in Africa.
Very limited information is known about these ancient elephants.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientRegion: Africa – evidence in KenyaEra: Early PlioceneAsian Elephant (Elephas Maximus)The Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus),is found primarily in large parts of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina and parts of Indonesia.
An Asian elephant has 5 toes on the front of the feet and and 4 on the back.Male Asian elephants have tusks and the females have ‘tushes’, which are short second incisors that just stick out beyond the upper lip.These elephants have a low neck which is curved upwards and protruding foreheads which appear as two noticeable bumps.
Only about 50% of Asian Elephant bulls have long tusks.Asian Elephants Alive Today – Size & WeightThere is only one species of Asian Elephant left in existence today, and that is Elephas Maximus.
There are however, four subspecies of the Asian Elephant that exist across their range.
Let’s take a look at the size and how much these Asian Elephants weigh.Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus)The Indian Elephant can be found across many Asian countries, including India, Nepal, China, Bangladesh, as well as eastern areas such as Thailand, Cambodia and the Malayan Peninsula.
The largest population of these elephants are in India.Despite efforts to protect the species, and to ban the ivory trade in particular, some countries such as Myanmar don’t seem to pay much attention to the ban and sadly carry on regardless with the trade of ivory.Indian elephants have broader skulls than their African cousins, and they also have smaller ears and larger trunks.
Male bulls can reach 3.2 meters tall and 5 metric tons (5,000 kg) in weight.The largest Indian Elephant recorded, was a bull called Raja Gaj that lived in the Bardia National Park in Nepal.
In 2007, with an age of around 70 years old, he went missing from his habitat and was never seen again.Weight:Male: Range – Between 2 – 5 metric tons (2,000/5,000 kg – 4,409-11,023 lbs) with adult males usually at the middle to top end of the rangeFemale: Range – Between 2 – 5 metric tons (2,000/5,000 kg – 4,409-11,023 lbs) with adult females usually toward the lower end to middle of the rangeSize:Male: Range – Between 6.6 – 10.5 ft (2 – 3.2 meters) with adult males usually at the middle to top end of the rangeFemale: Range – Between 6.6 – 10.5 ft (2 – 3.2 meters) with adult females usually toward the lower end to middle of the rangeRegion: Populations across Asia, from the Indian subcontinent, to China, and down toward the Malaysian Peninsula.IUCN Status: EndangeredSri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus)The Sri Lankan Elephant is the ‘type species’ for the Asian Elephant, first described in the 18th Century.
It is the largest of all recognised Asian Elephant subspecies.
Less than half of the land that these elephants occupy is in a protected area, reserve or park.With habitat loss from human expansion, and Sri Lanka having the highest density of Asian Elephants per kilometer in the world, stresses on maintaining the elephant population are all too real.The Sri Lankan Elephant can grow up to 3.5 meters at the shoulder, (11.5 feet) and up to 5.5 metric tons (5,500 kg) in weight.
They have darker skin than the other subspecies of Asian elephant, and only 7 out of every 100 males grow tusks.Currently, the biggest elephant in Sri Lanka, is a tamed male bull called Nadungamuwa Raja.
As of 2022, this elephant is 68 years old and stands at 3.2 meters tall.
He is a bit of a celebrity and even has his own armed guards for protection as he is known to roam around roads.WeightMale: Range – Between 2.5 – 5.5 metric tons (2,500/5,500 kg – 5,511-12,125 lbs) with adult males usually at the middle to top end of the rangeFemale: Range – Between 2.5 – 5.5 metric tons (2,500/5,500 kg – 5,511-12,125 lbs) with adult females usually toward the lower end to middle of the rangeSize:Male: Range – Between 6.6 – 11.5 ft (2 – 3.5 meters) with adult males usually at the middle to top end of the rangeFemale: Range – Between 6.6 – 11.5 ft (2 – 3.5 meters) with adult females usually toward the lower end to middle of the rangeRegion: Sri LankaIUCN Status: EndangeredSumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus)Of all the subspecies of Asian Elephant, the Sumatran Elephant is the most at risk.
Current estimates put the population as low as 1500 individuals left, making the species at critical risk.The Sumatran elephant is around the same size as the Indian Elephant, though most accounts put it a little smaller growing up to 3 meters tall at the shoulders.
This makes them the smallest of the Asian Elephant subspecies.
They don’t tend to grow as heavy either, with a weight range between 2 to 4 metric tons (2,000 – 4,000 kg).
Sumatran bulls will also grow smaller tusks than their other Asian cousins.Weight:Male: Range – Between 2 – 4 metric tons (2,000/4,000 kg – 4,409-8,818 lbs) with males usually at the middle to top end of the rangeFemale: Range – Between 2 – 4 metric tons (2,000/4,000 kg – 4,409-8,818 lbs) with adult females usually toward the lower end to middle of the rangeSize:Male: Range – Between 6.6 – 9.8 ft (2 – 3 meters) with adult males usually at the middle to top end of the rangeFemale: Range – Between 6.6 – 9.8 ft (2 – 3 meters) with adult females usually toward the lower end to middle of the rangeRegion: Island Of SumatraIUCN Status: Critically EndangeredBorneo Elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis)The taxonomy of the Borneo Elephant is still awaiting a definitive classification, but it is widely accepted that it is a distinct subspecies of its own – Elephas maximus borneensis.
It is sometimes referred to as the Borneo Pygmy Elephant, and with a maximum shoulder height of 2.9 meters, it is the smallest of the Asian Elephant subspecies.Despite being the smallest elephant, they are the largest mammal on the island of Borneo.
They have long tails and large ears, and their tusks are straighter than most other species.
The Borneo Elephant is a forest dweller, and their habitat is under immense pressure from deforestation and human expansion.According to the Guinness Book Of World Records, from details entered in 2003, the Borneo Pygmy Elephant measures between 5 ft 6 in-8 ft 6 in (1.7-2.6 meters) tall for an adult male, and 4 ft 11 in-7 ft 2 in (1.5-2.2 m) tall for an adult female.
The average weight is estimated to be around 2.5 metric tons (2,500 kg – 5,500 lb).Weight:Male: Average – 2,500 kg – 5,500 lbFemale: Average – 2,500 kg – 5,500 lbSize:Male: Range – Between 5 ft 6 in-8 ft 6 in (1.7-2.6 meters)Female: Range – 4 ft 11 in-7 ft 2 in (1.5-2.2 meters)Region: North East BorneoIUCN Status: EndangeredAsian Elephants That Are ExtinctElephas Beyeri Elephas Beyeri is an extinct species of dwarf elephant that existed around the Middle Pleistocene era.
The have potentially been other findings though, around the same geographical region of islands.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Estimated to stand at 1.2 m at shoulder height.Female: Estimated to stand at 1.2 m at shoulder height.Region: Evidence in The PhilippinesEra: Middle PleistoceneElephas Celebensis Elephas Celebensis is an ancient species of elephant that existed around the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene eras.
But we do know when it existed, with evidence around the Indonesian Sunda islands of Java and Sulawesi.This elephant is also known as the Sulawesi dwarf elephant and it is estimated to have had a shoulder height of around 1.5 meters.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Estimated at 1.5 m shoulder height.Female: Estimated at 1.5 m shoulder height.Region: Sunda Islands – Java, Sulawesi.Era: Late Pliocene – Early PleistoceneElephas Ekorensis Elephas Ekorensis was a very early member of the Elephantidae family.
Fossilized evidence places this large mammal in the Early Pliocene era, around 5.3 and 3.6 million years ago.
Ekorensis is the earliest example of the genus Elephas and all elephants in that line originate from this species.
Data on this species is limited outside of very specialist academia.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientRegion: East AfricaEra: Early PlioceneElephas HysudricusElephas Hysudricus is a very early example of the Elephas genus, that existed during the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras.
Fossil evidence of the species has been identified in the North of India, an while the species is mentioned in academic research, there is little known or documented about this species.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientRegion: North India – Sewalik HillsEra: Pliocene and PleistoceneElephas Hysudrindicus Elephas Hysudrindicus, also known as the Blora Elephant existed during the Pleistocene era right up to around 15,000 years ago.
According to one article in the Jakarta Post describing the fossilized remains of this species, it is estimated to have stood between 2.5 and 4 meters tall.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Between 2.5 and 4 meters tall.Female: Between 2.5 and 4 meters tall.Region: Indonesia – JavaEra: PleistoceneElephas IolensisElephas Iolensis has been identified as living in the African Savannah lands, around 130,000 to 10,000 years ago during the Late Pleistocene era.
The species was originally described and classified in 1895 and the type specimen is housed in the Natural History Museum in Paris.The species is mentioned in a few academic journals but size and weight data is elusive.
One reference in the Journal of Mammalian Evolution (available through the national science foundation – document 10125003) discussed the disappearance of Elephas in Africa, but again, no mention of the size of Iolensis.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientRegion: African SavannahEra: Late PleistoceneElephas PlatycephalusElephas Platycephalus was a very close relative of the Asian Elephant that lived during the middle Pleistocene epoch, until around 130,000 years ago.
While fossilized remains have been discovered, there are only a few mentions of this species in research and nothing about size or weight other than significant features of the skull.Weight:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientSize:Male: Data DeficientFemale: Data DeficientRegion: North India – Sivalik HillsEra: Mid-Pleistocene EraFAQSWhat Is The Biggest Elephant Ever?The largest elephants ever, are believed to have come from the genus Palaeoloxodon within the family Elephantidae.
Evidence from fossil fragments indicate that Palaeoloxodon namadicus which lived around India during the mid to late Pleistocene epoch, may have been the largest land mammal ever!
From the fragments unearthed, it is estimated that these elephants stood between 4.5 and 5.2 meters (14 ft 10 in – 17 ft 1 in) tall with a weight up to 22 metric tons (22,000 kg).
One ancient example discovered of a Palaeoloxodon recki, stood at 4.27 meters (14.0 ft) tall with a weight of 12.3 metric tons (12,300 kg).What Is The Biggest Elephant Today?The biggest elephant species today, is the African Bush Elephant, and the heaviest of these ever recorded weighed in at a massive 10.4 Metric Tons (10,400 kg – 22,900 lbs).How Much Do Baby Elephants Weigh?Newly born baby Asian elephants (calves) weigh around 90 kilograms (200 pounds) and stand at around (0.9 metres) 3 feet.Did You Know?The Indian Elephant is the national animal of LaosThe heaviest elephant is the African Bush elephantThe lightest elephant is the Borneo Pygmy elephant which is a subspecies of the Asian elephant.Elephants don’t have sweat glands and use their ears to cool downAdult elephants don’t have any ‘natural’ predators, but have been known to fall victim to starving Lions.Baby elephants however are vulnerable to predation by Lions and scavengers like hyenas.Male elephants can take up to 40 years to reach their full size.You can tell each of the three main species apart by their different ears.Elephants have exceptional memories.All elephants are herbivores.