Julie Wyckoff, age 12, of Omaha, Nebraska, for her question:
How do Indian and African elephants differ?
The elephant of India is properly called the iisiatic elephant, for he has close cousins living in Ceylon, Indo‑China, Burma and the Malay Peninsula. At first glance, the Asiatic and the 4'If rican elephant look enough alike to be brothers. But there are certain differences which set them apart as separate species.
The bush elephant of Africa is the largest land animal in the world. A large bull may stand 13 feet high at shoulder level, a good three feet taller than his Asiatic cousin. Seen side by side, the .6`rf rican elephant is a lot darker in color than the Asian. He looks almost black, while his cousin is never darker than deep gray. To the touch, the skin of the "African elephant is rougher and coarser.
There is also a difference in the number of toes. Though you cannot see the actual toes on an elephant's stubby foot, you can see his toenails. Count them and you will find that the jumbo of Africa has five toenails on the front foot and three on the hind foot. The Asian jumbos have five toe nails on the front and four on the hind foot.
The most noticeable differences between the two cousins, however, are on their heads. The Asian elephant has a high straight forehead. The African elephant's forehead is round and sloping. The trunk of the Asian elephant ends with one lobe, or grasping finger. The African elephant's trunk has two such lobes.
Aside from these minor differences, are the ears. If you have ever seen the monstrous ears of the African elephant you could never mistake him. In the full‑grown bull, the ears may be four feet wide and five feet long. What's more, they are very agile cars and the big jumbo makes good. use of them. He uses them as fans to keep himself cool. When extended sideways, from tip to tip across the massive forehead, they may measure ten feet.
The Asian elephant's ears are by no means small. But they cannot match those of his African cousin. They are not so agile and he rarely extends them except in anger.
A fair‑sized African jumbo tips the scales at somewhat over six tons. The Asian elephant rarely if ever reaches such a weight. Most bulls weigh between three and five tons. In some respects, his lighter weight is more convenient. The Asian elephant can always lie down to sleep if he wants to do so. But, when his giant cousin reaches his full growth, he cannot lie down because getting up again would perhaps be impossible. Africa's big jumbo spends the last 30 or 40 yeas of his life on his feet, even when sleeping.