The largest elephant on record was an adult male African savanna elephant that weighed about 24,000 pounds (10,886 kilograms). Its height at the shoulder was 13 feet (3.96 meters), according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
National Geographic calls African savanna elephants, also known as African bush elephants, both the largest elephant species on Earth and the largest land animal species on the planet. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says African elephants grow larger than Asian elephants.
Male and female elephants
Animal Diversity Web gives male African elephants a mass of 4,500 to 6,100 kg and a shoulder height of 3.2 to 4 m, and females a mass of 2,000 to 3,500 kg and a shoulder height of 2.2 to 2.6 m. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says a male African elephant can weigh as much as 7.5 tons (6.8 metric tons).
Asian elephants, and growth over a lifetime
For adult Asian elephants, Smithsonian’s National Zoo gives a typical shoulder height of 1.8 to 3.8 meters (6 to 12 feet) and an average weight of 6,000 to 12,000 pounds (2,750 to 5,420 kilograms). The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance adds that, unlike other mammals, elephants grow throughout their lifetime.
Henry, the largest elephant mount
The Smithsonian describes Henry, originally from Angola, as the largest elephant mount in the world and the centerpiece of its museum’s rotunda. It gives Henry’s height as 13 feet and his weight as 11 tons.
Sources
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Elephant | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants
- National Geographic: African savanna elephant | National Geographic
- Animal Diversity Web: Loxodonta africana (African bush elephant) | Animal Diversity Web
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo: Asian elephant | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
- Smithsonian Institution: How Do You Clean an 11-Ton Elephant? One Brushstroke at a Time