Oddly, the African elephant's large ears match the shape of the African continent, and the Asian elephant's smaller ears match the shape of India. All elephants have tusks, except for female Asian elephants. Most African elephants live on the savanna, but some live in forests or even deserts. Most Asian elephants live in forests. For this task, they have only four teeth for chewing.
Elephants boast the largest nose in the world, which is actually part nose and part upper lip.
Role in the Ecosystem Elephants are considered a keystone species in the African landscape. They pull down trees, break up bushes, create salt licks, dig waterholes, and forge trails. Other animals, including humans, like the pygmies of the Central African Republic, depend on the openings elephants create in the forest and brush and in the waterholes they dig. Even elephant droppings are important to the environment. Baboons and birds pick through dung for undigested seeds and nuts, and dung beetles reproduce in these deposits.