| African Forest Elephant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Range | Congo Basin |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Proboscidea |
| Family | Elephantidae |
| Genus | Loxodonta |
| Species | Loxodonta cyclotis |
| Conservation Status | |
 Vulnerable | |
The African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta Cyclotis), also known as the Forest Elephant, is a member of the African Elephant genera.
Appearance[]
Differences include the African forest elephant's long, narrow mandible (the African bush elephant's is short and wide), its rounded ears (an African bush elephant's ears are more pointed), straighter and downward tusks, considerably smaller size, and number of toenails. The male African forest elephant rarely exceeds 2.5 metres (8 ft) in height, while the African bush elephant is usually over 3 metres (just under 10 feet) and sometimes almost 4 metres (13 ft) tall. With regard to the number of toenails: the African bush elephant normally has 4 toenails on the frontfoot and 3 on the hindfoot, the African forest elephant normally has 5 toenails on the frontfoot and 4 on the hindfoot (like the Asian elephant), but hybrids between the two species occur.
Ecology[]
Due to their fruit dominated diet, African Forest Elephants are an important seed distributor, garnering them the title of 'mega-gardener of the forest'. In addition, the complex trails they create are used by a variety of wild animals and humans.
Behavior[]
Little has been observed about the African Forest Elephant as they are elusive despite being social creatures. Females and subadults live in groups of up to 20 elephants, nurturing calves together in a behavior known as allomothering. Once young bulls reach sexual maturity, they separate from the family group and form loose bachelor groups for a few days, but usually remain solitary. Adult bulls associate with family groups only during the mating season. Family groups travel about 7.8 km (4.8 mi) per day and move in a home range of up to 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi), their movement strongly tied to the availability of ripe fruits in Primary Rainforests. They use a complex network of permanent trails that pass through stands of fruit trees and connect forest clearings with mineral licks.
In Odzala-Kokoua National Park, groups have been observed to meet frequently at forest clearings, indicating a fission–fusion society. They stayed longer in the presence of other groups, and bulls joined their family units.
Diet[]
The African forest elephant is an herbivore and commonly eats leaves, fruit, and bark, with occasional visits to mineral licks.
Reproduction[]
Forest elephants have a lifespan of about 60 to 70 years and mature slowly, coming to puberty in their early teens. Females reach sexual maturity between the age of 8 and 12 years, but this number depends on the population density and nutrition available. On average, they begin breeding at the age of 23 and give birth every 5–6 years. Males reach sexual maturity within one or two years of females.
Between the ages of 15 and 25, bulls undergo "musth", which is a hormonal state marked by increased aggression. The male secretes fluid from the temporal gland between its ear and eye during this time. Younger bulls typically experience musth for a shorter period of time than older bulls. When undergoing musth, bulls have a more erect walk with their heads high and tusks inward, they may rub their heads on trees or bushes to spread the musth scent, and they may even flap their ears, accompanied by a musth rumble, so that their smell can be blown towards other elephants. Another behavior affiliated with musth is urination. Bulls allow their urine to slowly come out and spray the insides of their hind legs. All of these behaviors are to advertise to receptive females and competing bulls they are in the musth state. Bulls do not provide prenatal care to their offspring but play a fatherly role to younger bulls to show dominance.
The females are polyestrous; capable of conceiving multiple times a year. This is a reason why they do not appear to have a breeding season, but there does appear to be a peak in conceptions during the two rainy seasons of the year. Generally, the female conceives after two or three matings. Twins are rarely concieved, despite having plenty of room in her uterous to produce a pair. Based on the maturity, fertility, and gestation rates, African forest elephants are capable of increasing the species' population size by 5% annually under ideal conditions.
Gestation spans a period of 22 months and calves are born capable of locomotion. Baby elephants are born about 105 kg (232 lbs) at birth, sucking on its mother's milk while its trunk is lifted above its head. Tusks do not come until around 16 months and calves are not weaned until they are roughly 4 or 5 years old. By this time, their tusks are around 14 cm (5.5 in) long and begin to interfere with suckling.
Trivia[]
- Leopards and crocodiles typically do not hunt adult forest elephants. Instead, they prey on their calves, but the task is difficult. The mother either crushes them with her feet or injure them with her tusks.