Unlike their ancient cousins, modern elephants are very much alive today. There are three species: the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant.
African and Asian elephants differ in size, ear shape and tusk length. Modern African elephants are the largest land mammal on Earth, with some males reaching 4 meters (13 feet) in shoulder height.
Elephants belong to the family Elephantidae, like mammoths, but they’ve adapted to modern ecosystems. The African savanna and Asian jungles are their homes, though habitat loss and poaching have placed them on the endangered list.
These large herbivores play a key role in their environments by spreading seeds and shaping landscapes.
