The two species of elephant—African and Asian—are the only members of the mammalian order Proboscidea. The bigger African elephant is the largest land animal: a fully grown male may be up to 13 ft (4 m) tall and weigh nearly 8 tons (7 metric tons). A fully grown male Asian elephant may be 11 ft (3.3 m) tall and weigh 6 tons (5.4 metric tons). The trunk—an extension of the nose and upper lip—is the elephant’s other most obvious feature. It is used for manipulating and lifting, feeding, drinking and spraying water, smelling, touching, and producing trumpeting sounds. Other characteristic features include a pair of tusks, used for defense and for crushing vegetation; thick,
pillarlike legs and broad feet to support the massive body; and large ear flaps that act as radiators to keep the elephant cool.
