African Elephant

African elephants are the species of elephant in the genus Loxodonta (Greek for 'oblique-sided tooth'), one of the two existing genera in Elephantidae. There are two species of African elephant, the African bush elephant (L. africana) and the smaller African forest elephant (L. cyclotis). Both are social herbivores with grey skin, but differ in the size and colour of their tusks and in the shape and size of their ears and skulls. The name Loxodonta refers to the lozenge-shaped enamel of their molar teeth. Fossil remains of Loxodonta species have been excavated in Africa, dating to the Middle Pliocene. Although it is commonly believed that the genus was named by Georges Cuvier in 1825, Cuvier spelled it Loxodonte. An anonymous author romanized the spelling to Loxodonta and the ICZN recognizes this as the proper authority.
Category:Mammals
Category:Africa
Category:Elephants