African vs Asian Elephant: Ears, Size and Other Differences

Key differences at a glance

The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) are not just two varieties of the same animal. They belong to different genera, and their lineages separated roughly 7 million years ago. In fact, the Asian elephant is more closely related to the extinct woolly mammoth than to African elephants.

The table at the top of this page sums up the main differences. Most of them can be seen from a distance on safari or in a zoo: look at the ears first, then the head, the line of the back and the trunk tip.

Ears: the easiest difference

African bush elephants have the largest ears of any animal, up to about 2 m (6.6 ft) long and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) wide. They are roughly triangular, with a pointed lower tip, and reach back over the shoulders. Asian elephants have smaller, rounder ears whose top edge folds forward, and they rarely extend above the neck.

The difference is linked to climate. Ears work as radiators, shedding heat from blood vessels near the surface, and African bush elephants live on hot, open savannas. Find out more in Why do elephants have big ears?

Head, back and trunk

Seen from the side, an African elephant’s highest point is its shoulder, and its back dips in the middle before rising again toward the hips. An Asian elephant’s highest point is the top of its head, and its back is arched or level. The Asian elephant’s head also has two rounded domes on top with a dent between them, while the African elephant has a single, smoothly rounded forehead.

The trunk tip is a closer clue. African elephants have two finger-like points at the end of the trunk, one above and one below, which they use like a pair of fingers to pick things up. Asian elephants have only one point, on the upper side, and more often grip food by curling the trunk around it.

The skin differs too. African elephants have more deeply wrinkled skin, while Asian elephant skin is smoother and often has pale, pinkish patches without pigment on the ears, face and trunk.

Which elephant is bigger?

The African bush elephant is clearly the larger species and the largest land animal on Earth. Fully grown bulls typically weigh 5.2–6.9 tonnes (11,500–15,200 lb) and stand 3–3.4 m (10–11 ft) at the shoulder. Asian elephant bulls average about 4 tonnes (8,800 lb) and 2.75 m (9 ft), though big individuals can reach 6 tonnes.

The difference between the sexes is also greater in African bush elephants: a mature bull can weigh about twice as much as a mature cow. In Asian elephants, cows average about 2.7 tonnes and bulls are larger, but the gap is smaller. Details are in How much does an elephant weigh?

Tusks: who has them?

In African bush elephants, both males and females usually grow tusks, which curve outward and forward. Bulls’ tusks are heavier, but cows’ tusks can be long.

In Asian elephants, only some males have large tusks; these males are called tuskers. Females, and many males, have only small tusks called tushes that barely show beyond the lip, or none at all. The share of tuskers varies widely between regions and is especially low in Sri Lanka. Because of this, ivory poaching hits Asian elephants differently, removing many of the few tusked males.

Habitat, behavior and status

African bush elephants live in sub-Saharan Africa in savanna, grassland, woodland, swamps and even desert edges. Asian elephants live in 13 countries from India and Nepal to Borneo, mostly in forests, scrub and grasslands, often close to farms and villages.

Both species live in female-led family groups, but African bush elephant families tend to be larger and linked in a more layered society of families, bond groups and clans. Asian elephant family groups are usually smaller, with more fluid associations. African elephants are more often grazers on open grassland, while many Asian elephants live in more wooded habitats.

Both are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The wild population of African elephants was about 415,000 (both African species) in 2016, while Asian elephants number roughly 48,000–52,000.

Can African and Asian elephants interbreed?

In the wild, the two species never meet, because they live on different continents. In captivity, only one hybrid has ever been documented. In 1978, an Asian elephant cow at Chester Zoo in England gave birth to a male calf fathered by an African bull. The calf, named Motty, showed a mix of features from both parents, but he died of an intestinal infection when he was about ten days old. No other hybrid is known, and zoos keep the two species apart for breeding.

Which elephant is easier to tame?

People have kept and trained Asian elephants for at least 4,000 years, for timber work, transport, warfare, ceremonies and, today, tourism. There were roughly 13,000–16,500 working elephants in Asia around the year 2000. African elephants were also used in the past, most famously by Carthage and Ptolemaic Egypt in ancient warfare, but taming them has been far less common in modern times. This is mostly a matter of history and tradition rather than proof that one species is gentler. Wild elephants of both species can be dangerous when surprised or provoked, so the safe way to watch them is from a respectful distance.

Where does the African forest elephant fit?

There is a third living elephant species, the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). It lives in the rainforests of West Africa and the Congo Basin and was long considered a subspecies of the African bush elephant, until genetic studies showed they separated at least 1.9 million years ago.

The forest elephant is the smallest elephant. Its ears are more rounded, and its tusks are straighter, thinner and point downward, which helps it move through dense vegetation. It is listed as Critically Endangered, the most threatened of the three species.