African Elephant Size vs. Woolly Mammoth Size

Attribute	African Elephant Size	Woolly Mammoth Size
Height	Tallest land animal, up to 13 feet	Similar height to African elephant
Weight	Heaviest land animal, up to 14,000 lbs	Similar weight to African elephant
Tusks	Both males and females have tusks	Both males and females have tusks
Range	Sub-Saharan Africa	North America, Europe, and Asia
Extinction	Currently endangered	Extinct for over 4,000 years

Physical Characteristics

African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, with males reaching up to 13 feet in height at the shoulder and weighing between 10,000 to 14,000 pounds. They have large ears, long trunks, and tusks that can grow up to 6 feet in length. In comparison, woolly mammoths were slightly larger, with males standing around 13 to 14 feet tall and weighing between 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. They had long, curved tusks and a thick coat of fur to survive in the cold climates they inhabited.

Habitat

African elephants are found in sub-Saharan Africa, where they inhabit a variety of habitats including savannas, forests, and grasslands. They are known to travel long distances in search of food and water. Woolly mammoths, on the other hand, lived during the Ice Age and were adapted to the cold climates of the northern hemisphere. They roamed across the tundra of Europe, Asia, and North America, where they grazed on grasses and shrubs.

Behavior

African elephants are highly social animals that live in matriarchal herds led by the oldest and most experienced female. They communicate through a variety of vocalizations, body language, and infrasound. African elephants are known for their intelligence, memory, and emotional capabilities. Woolly mammoths were also social animals that lived in herds, with older females leading the group. They communicated through low-frequency calls and body language, similar to modern elephants.

Diet

African elephants are herbivores that primarily feed on grasses, leaves, bark, and fruits. They have a high daily intake of food, consuming up to 300 pounds of vegetation per day. Woolly mammoths had a similar diet, feeding on grasses, sedges, and shrubs that grew in the tundra. They used their tusks to dig through snow and ice to reach buried vegetation during the winter months.

Extinction

African elephants are currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss, poaching for ivory, and human-wildlife conflict. Conservation efforts are in place to protect these iconic animals and ensure their survival. Woolly mammoths, on the other hand, went extinct around 4,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age. Climate change, overhunting by early humans, and habitat loss are believed to have contributed to their demise.