Elephants help maintain forest and savanna ecosystems for other species and are integrally tied to rich biodiversity. Elephants are important ecosystem engineers. They make pathways in dense forested habitat that allow passage for other animals. An elephant footprint can also enable a micro-ecosystem that, when filled with water, can provide a home for tadpoles and other organisms. As keystone ...
Forest elephants are declining due to poaching and habitat loss. Learn how to help protect these gentle giants of the Congo Basin.
African elephants: Giants of the savanna and forest | World Wildlife Fund
- What's the difference between Asian and African elephants? There are more than 10 physical characteristics that differentiate Asian and African elephants. For example, Asian elephants' ears are smaller compared to the large, fan-shaped ears of the African species. Only some male Asian elephants have tusks, while both male and female African elephants grow tusks. It is also important to note ...
Asian elephants are vital to ecosystems and culture. Learn how habitat loss threatens them—and how you can help protect these gentle giants.
African forest elephants are smaller than African savanna elephants, the other African elephant species. Their ears are more oval-shaped and their tusks are straighter and point downward (the tusks of savanna elephants curve outwards). There are also differences in the size and shape of the skull and skeleton.
Elephants’ important role in maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystems has earned them various names including ecosystem engineers, seed dispersers, and forest gardeners. However, African forest elephants —a species inhabiting the dense rain forests of central Africa—are increasingly recognized by another name: ‘climate hero.’ The smaller and more elusive cousin of African ...