African Elephant

African Elephant Habitat

African elephant habitat – African Bush Elephant population and distribution
The African elephant habitat for the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) once consisted of a huge region from the Mediterranean coast to the southern tip of the African continent. It is naturally hard to determine how many African bush elephants that could be found in this African elephant habitat at various points in history, but estimations from the 1930s and 1940s talk about 3-5 millions African elephants on the African continent. It should however be noted that this number originates from a period in history when the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) was considered to be the same species of elephant. If we move further back in history, we also find reports about the so called North African elephant that became extinct around 2000 years ago. This elephant is considered to be either a subspecies or constitute its own species of African elephant. It is commonly referred to as Loxodonta africana pharaoensis.

Today, the African bush elephant is found in a much smaller range than before. Currently, the African elephant habitat for the African bush elephant is limited to eastern and southern Africa. The most densely populated parts of the African elephant habitat are located in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Botswana.

African elephant habitat – African bush elephant ecology and habitat
The African elephant habitat for the African bush elephant varies from grassy savannas and forests to desert regions. It is a migratory animal that can travel vast distances, but many ancient migratory routs have to today been disturbed by human activity in the African elephant habitat. Female elephants form groups together with their offspring, and are led by a matriarch. The matriarch decides the migratory route, and will teach the other elephants where they can find good sources of water, food and so on. Male adults travel alone, for form their own herds.

All elephants are herbivores, but the proportions of herbs, shrubbery, tree leaves and tree bark vary depending on the particular African elephant habitat. The African bush elephants will also eat fruit if they can find it, and soil to satisfy their need for certain minerals. The African bush elephant is an important seed disperser that will carry undigested seeds in its stomach from one part of the African elephant habitat to another. An adult African bush elephant will eat around 300-500 pounds (136-227 kilograms) of vegetation each day.

African elephant habitat – African forest elephant population and distribution
We still do not know a lot about the African elephant habitat where the African forest elephant can be found. Elephant experts have usually focused their research projects on the African bush elephant, since it is much easier to follow the elephants on the open savannah than in the densely grown African forests. The African forest elephant is found in tropical rainforests in the western and central parts of the African continent. In these regions, there are still large areas of dense forest left. The African forest elephant is found in forests where herbaceous vegetation is abundant, as well as in forests featuring a sparse understorey.

African elephant habitat – African forest elephant ecology and habitat
A majority of the known data about the Africa forest elephant comes from African elephant habitat in West Africa, especially the Bia National Park in Ghana and the Tai National Park in the Ivory Coast. The African forest elephants seem to play a very important part role in the ecosystem in the African elephant habitat. In some regions in Central Africa, the elephants make up around 50-80% of the mammalian biomass. They are important seed dispersers for many plant species. Research from Sierra Leone tells us how the African forest elephant is praised by the local population for its ability to clear land by pushing down trees. According to local tradition, the Mendeh tribe have since long relied on the elephants to clear land for them and make it suitable for agriculture. The elephants thinned the forest and allowed light to penetrate. They also puddled the swampy soil and made it more suitable for grassy growth. The local stories also tell us how the elephants carried in their stomachs rice seeds from far away settlements, and this is not hard to believe since the African forest elephant is an important seed disperser.

adult African elephant

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