The common name is the African Elephant, the scientific name is Loxodonta
Africana, the phylum is Vertebrata, the class is Mammalia, the order is Proboscidea,
and the family is Elephantidae. The Closest Relatives to the African Elephant are: the
Asian Elephant, mammoths, primitive proboscidean (mastodons), sea cows, and
hyraxes. Scientists believe that the African Elephant evolved from one of its closest
The geographical location and range of the African elephant covers all of
central and southern Africa. In Ethiopia there are isolated populations that exist
around Lake Chad in Mali and Mauritania. Also in Kenya, Rhodesia, Tanzania,
Zambia, Uganda, Zaire, and in National parks located in South Africa, as well as
several other countries. African Elephants, originally, were found in all of the
Sub-Saharan African habitats except desert steppes. Elephants still occupy diverse
habitats such as: temperate grassland, tropical savanna and grass lands, temperate
forest and rainforest, tropical rainforest, tropical scrub forest, and tropical deciduous
forest despite their drastic decline in numbers. However, their migratory patterns and
habitat use have changed, due to the fact that they are restricted to protected areas.
The elephant can exist in many types of environments but it prefers places that have
many trees and bushes, which the elephant needs both for food and shade. They also
like warm areas that have plenty of rainfall. This ensures plenty of food, shade, and
water. The elephant prefers a habitat of mixed woodland and grassland which gives
them an opportunity to eat a variety of vegetation.
African Elephants are considered herbivores, they are both browsers and
grazers; they will eat rough sticks, stems and leaves of plants as well as grasses,
sedges, and fruit. Their favorites are mangoes, berries and coconuts. An elephant eats
up to 500 pounds of vegetation every day ...