Scientific name -- Loxodonta africana
Size -- Up to 14,300 lbs.
Diet -- grasses, leaves, fruit

Until recently it was thought there were only two living elephant species, the African elephant and the smaller Asian elephant. However, recent DNA studies suggest that there are actually two species of African elephant; Loxodonta cyclotis, lives in forests. The savannah African elephant is the largest modern land animal, weighing around seven tons. They form herds of ten to fifteen individuals always led by a matriarch. Because of their size, elephants have few predators. Elephants have an important effect on savannahs because they keep trees and shrubs under control, allowing grasses to dominate the environment. Elephants live for about sixty years and die as their molars wear down, preventing them from eating plants. Elephant gestation lasts for 22 months and calves can be born at 200 lbs.