EntdeckenSäugetiere

Loxodonta cyclotis

The African Forest Elephant is a gentle giant that lives in the forests of Africa. They have big ears and long tusks, and they love to eat leaves and fruits from trees.

Lebensraum: Forests

Aussehen

The Loxodonta cyclotis is the smallest of the African elephants, with a dark grey hide and pinkish underparts. It has notably rounder ears and straighter, downward-pointing tusks that are often reddish-brown from forest minerals, which helps distinguish it from its savanna relatives.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseMammaliaOrdnungProboscideaFamilieElephantidaeGattungLoxodonta

Loxodonta cyclotis

Kategorie

Säugetiere

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

3/5 · Mittel

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

A forest elephant's stomach can hold as much as 100 liters of water!

Forest elephants help keep the rainforest healthy by spreading seeds far and wide.

Their ivory tusks are so dense they are sometimes called 'diamond ivory'!

They are considered the 'gardeners' of the Congo Basin rainforest.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Loxodonta cyclotis can create vital paths through dense vegetation that other animals use, because of its large size and strength.

Loxodonta cyclotis can dig deep into the earth for water and mineral salts because of its strong tusks, vital in dry seasons.

Loxodonta cyclotis can communicate over long distances using low-frequency rumbling sounds that help them stay connected in thick forests.

Loxodonta cyclotis has a prehensile trunk with two finger-like tips that helps them pick up tiny seeds and berries with precision.

Maße und Details

Länge: 160-280 cm
Gewicht: 1700-4000 kg
Lebenserwartung: 60-70 Jahre
Top Speed: 40 km/h
Wurfgröße: 1
Tragzeit: 660 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

This herbivore munches on a variety of plants, especially ripe fruits, leaves, and bark.

Hauptnahrung

Fruits
Leaves
Bark
Roots
Grasses

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eats

Marula tree

Sclerocarya birrea

eats its fruits, dispersing seeds

depends on

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

uses elephant-created clearings and paths

depends on

Western Gorilla

Gorilla gorilla

travels along paths cleared by elephants

eaten by

Leopard

Panthera pardus

occasionally preys on elephant calves

Merkmale

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.

Mit Stoßzähnen

Gekennzeichnet durch lange, spitze, hervorstehende Zähne, die meist paarweise auftreten.

Pflanzenfressend

Dieses Merkmal kennzeichnet Lebewesen, deren Ernährung vollständig oder hauptsächlich aus pflanzlichem Material besteht.

Wald

Waldlebensräume sind terrestrische Lebensräume, die von dichtem Baumbestand dominiert werden und eine große Vielfalt an Pflanzen- und Tierarten beherbergen.