Claim: Elephants' predators include lions.

Elephants are large mammals of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea . Three species are recognised , the African bush elephant -LRB- Loxodonta africana -RRB- , the African forest elephant -LRB- L. cyclotis -RRB- , and the Asian elephant -LRB- Elephas maximus -RRB- . Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa , South Asia , and Southeast Asia . Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea ; other , now extinct , members of the order include deinotheres , gomphotheres , mammoths , and mastodons . Male African elephants are the largest extant terrestrial animals and can reach a height of 4 m and weigh 7000 kg . All elephants have several distinctive features , the most notable of which is a long trunk or proboscis , used for many purposes , particularly breathing , lifting water , and grasping objects . Their incisors grow into tusks , which can serve as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging . Elephants ' large ear flaps help to control their body temperature . Their pillar-like legs can carry their great weight . African elephants have larger ears and concave backs while Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or level backs .   Elephants are herbivorous and can be found in different habitats including savannahs , forests , deserts , and marshes . They prefer to stay near water . They are considered to be keystone species due to their impact on their environments . Other animals tend to keep their distance from elephants while predators , such as lions , tigers , hyenas , and any wild dogs , usually target only young elephants -LRB- or `` calves '' -RRB- . Females -LRB- `` cows '' -RRB- tend to live in family groups , which can consist of one female with her calves or several related females with offspring . The groups are led by an individual known as the matriarch , often the oldest cow . Elephants have a fission -- fusion society in which multiple family groups come together to socialise . Males -LRB- `` bulls '' -RRB- leave their family groups when they reach puberty and may live alone or with other males . Adult bulls mostly interact with family groups when looking for a mate and enter a state of increased testosterone and aggression known as musth , which helps them gain dominance and reproductive success . Calves are the centre of attention in their family groups and rely on their mothers for as long as three years . Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild . They communicate by touch , sight , smell , and sound ; elephants use infrasound , and seismic communication over long distances . Elephant intelligence has been compared with that of primates and cetaceans . They appear to have self-awareness and show empathy for dying or dead individuals of their kind .   African elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature -LRB- IUCN -RRB- while the Asian elephant is classed as endangered . One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade , as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks . Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people . Elephants are used as working animals in Asia . In the past , they were used in war ; today , they are often controversially put on display in zoos , or exploited for entertainment in circuses . Elephants are highly recognisable and have been featured in art , folklore , religion , literature , and popular culture .