Exact Answer: 70 years
The forests are full of animals. Some can only live in the wild, while some can be even be raised well as pets. Animals always make the house cozy and can help one with various mental health issues. Some animals can only be raised well in the open environment instead of closed spaces.
Those animals are very big and one of the largest animals in the world is the elephant. they are one of the most beloved animals and they are normally kept in zoos. Elephants are now becoming extinct and if not, they are on the verge of extinction.
The life span of animals depends on various factors, although normally, the life span of an elephant is around 60 to 65 years. At most, there are old elephants that have lived for 90 to 100 years.
How Long Do Elephants Live?
| Breed | Time |
| African bush elephant | 70 years |
| Asian elephant | 48 years |
| African forest elephant | 70 years |
Elephants are one of the longest living mammals on land. Elephants belong to a group called proboscideans, from the family of Elephantidae and order of Proboscidea. They are one of the largest living animals and the popular species currently being recognized include the African bush elephant, African forest elephant, and Asian elephant.
From the order of Proboscidea, Elephantidae is the only surviving family. There are many other existing families, like straight-tusked elephants and mammoths. Every species of elephant is a little different from the other species in certain aspects. Nowadays elephants are becoming extinct because they are being hunted for their skin, ivory in their tusks, and even their trunk.
On average, males are about 9 feet tall and females are about 8 feet, slightly smaller. They use their trunks to hold anything or to eat anything. It contains about 60,000 muscles with radiating and longitudinal sets. They use their tusks for various purposes, but the tusks are harvested for their ivory. Though they have two tusks, there is an interesting fact that they can be right or left tusked.
Elephants are large animals but they don’t eat everything they lay their eyes on. Elephants are herbivorous animals for a fact and they eat only plants and shrubs. they eat fruits, vegetables, and anything that is vegetation. They can eat an average of 150 to 160 kilograms for a day. They can also drink around 45 liters of water a day.
They also walk around about 20 kilometers to find food every day.
Why Do Elephants Live That Long?
The life span of an elephant can differ based on the species of the elephant. Normally, elephants live for around 60 to 70 years in the wild, but they can differ when they are in captivity. In captivity, the life span of elephants is much shorter. African bush elephants and African forest elephants live for at least 60 years, but Asian elephants live for a much shorter while.
The shorter life span is influenced by various factors like hunting the elephants for their ivory, skin, and trunks. The other reasons for the shorter life span include hunting and poaching elephants. Sometimes the drought, unavailability of food, and even destruction of the habitat can be a real issue.
Some sources say that elephants don’t live long in captivity, but many other sources say otherwise. Without the predators hunting them in the wild, they do live longer. Asian elephants are hunted for their medicinal uses, and male elephants are hunted for their tusks normally.
Conclusion
Humans destruct elephant habitats to expand their towns and cities. Even viruses and diseases can be the causes of the short span of elephants and their offspring. Elephants reproduce well and there is no issue in their procreating. They are in the stage of getting extinct because of various reasons other than their hunting.
The extended lifespan of the elephants also depends upon their fertility. The elephants’ health and body conditions depend on the health of their parents too. The lifespans of the elephants have been carefully calculated from surveys, and finally, the life span has been calculated to an average of 70 to 80 years.
References
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12983-014-0054-0
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378432018304688.
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The information is very interesting. I think this will be beneficial to apply to our wildlife conservation programs
I agree, we need to do more for our elephants.
Agreed. The data provided will be useful.
It’s disheartening to read about the potential extinction of elephants. More needs to be done to preserve their species.
It is tragic that humans have played a large role in their decline.
The article presents a well-documented overview of elephant life. However, I believe it failed to sufficiently address the conservation efforts.
The lack of focus on conservation is a noticeable gap.
I agree, conservation should be discussed in more detail.
The content raises some critical points about the reasons behind the decline in elephant populations.
The significance of the causes cannot be overlooked.
The potential causes of their extinction must be addressed immediately.
It is intriguing to consider the numerous factors influencing the lifespan and health of elephants.
The complexity of their lifespan requires further in-depth study.
The information about the lifespan of elephants is surprising, but also concerning due to the risk of extinction.
The potential extinction of elephants is truly alarming.
It’s a worrisome outlook for such remarkable animals.
The analysis on the impact of various factors on the elephants’ lifespan is commendable. However, the sources could have been more diverse and comprehensive.
Indeed, a more extensive range of sources would have added credibility to the article.
I found the data on the elephants’ eating habits to be particularly fascinating and well-explained
The large consumption of food and water is quite astonishing.
Yes, the article effectively highlighted their dietary needs.
I find the lifespan information quite intriguing considering the various factors that affect it.
Yes, the lifespan is dependent on many factors indeed.
The impact of captivity on their lifespan is disturbing.