A famous story relates how several blind men tried to describe an elephant by touch. Each man described a different animal, depending on whether he felt the trunk, tail, legs, etc. Bull African bush or savannah elephants grow to a height of ten to twelve feet at the shoulder and a weight of five to seven tons. Females, or cows, weigh about three to five tons and may stand a little over eight feet tall.
Forest elephants are a bit smaller.
Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants, growing to weights of about 5 tons. Bull Indian elephants average about nine feet at the shoulder, cows eight feet. Elephants from Sri Lanka are a little bigger, those from Sumatra usually smaller. Nature took a cue from birds when designing elephants. Bones forming braincase are greatly thickened, but they are also lightened by a series of air cells and cavities.