|
||||
African Elephant FoodThere exists two known African elephant species, and their diets are dissimilar since they inhabit different biotopes. When we discus African elephant food, we must therefore treat these two species separately. The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana) lives chiefly on the Savannah, while the African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is found in much more densely grown habitats. The so called Pygmy Elephant that lives in the Congo basin is most likely a smaller version of the African Forest Elephant rather than a third African elephant species. |
African elephant food - Loxodonta africana
The African bush elephant is also known as the Savanna elephant, or simply African elephant. The African elephant food for this species varies depending on habitat and season. It can be found in grasslands as well as in partial deserts, and even in forests. The typical African elephant food is herbs, roots, tree leaves and shrubbery leaves. A lot of African plants wish to end up as African elephant food, since the elephants travel long distances and thereby help the plants to spread their seeds to new regions. The African bush elephant will averagely ingest around 225 kilograms (496 pounds) of food that is never totally digested, but defecated while seeds are still intact. The plant will therefore not only use the African bush elephant as a way of transporting its seed to a new environment, it will also benefit from the fact that the seed can germinate surrounded by a pile of nutrient rich feces.
African elephant food consist of a wide range of different plant species, and the African bush elephant can even nock down entire trees in order to reach the tasty tree leaves. To break down the African elephant food, this animal is equipped with four large molars. Each mandible of the jaw contains two of them, and each molar can reach a length of 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) while being up to 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) wide. The fiber rich African elephant food will gradually wear the molars out, and new molars will replace the exhausted ones. When the elephant has become approximately 15 years old, its milk teeth will have been replaced by new teeth that usually last until the elephant is 30 years old. They will then be replaced by a new set of teeth that last for roughly a decade. When the elephant turns 40, its last set of teeth will protrude and these teeth will last until the elephant is 65-70 years old. When the last teeth are worn out, the elephant will die of starvation.
African elephant food - Loxodonta cyclotis
The African forest elephant is not as well known as its bigger relative, since it has been so much easier for elephant experts to carry out their studies on the open savannah rather than in the densely grown African forests. Scientists have now started to tag African forest elephants with tracking devices in order to find out more about their habits.
An African forest elephant can have a home range that comprises more than 2,000 square kilometres (1,243 square miles) of jungle. The African elephant food consumed by this species is highly varied and contains much more fruit than the African elephant food consumed by the African bush elephant. The African forest elephant is well adapted to the African jungle and can for instance search for African elephant food without having its tusks entangled. Unlike the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant is equipped with straight tusks that decrease the risk of getting caught in vines and underbrush. The smaller size of the African forest elephant is another adaptation to the densely grown jungle habitat.
|
Copyright 2005 africanelephants.info. Left header picture copyright Sandra Fenley
Other network sites: Mammals, Birds & Reptiles - Insects & Fish - Plants - Sponsors
african elephant food