Scott+Lawrence+-+African+Bush+Elephant

tocThe African Bush Elephant is the suggested replacement for the Black Rhinoceros. =Names and Taxonomy=

The African Bush Elephant, more commonly called the "African Elephant", has the scientific name of //Loxodonta africana//. The full taxonomy is:


 * **Kingdom:** Animalia
 * **Phylum:** Chordata
 * **Subphylum:** Vertebrata
 * **Class:** Mammalia
 * **Infraclass:** Eutheria
 * **Order:** Proboscidea
 * **Family:** Elephantidae
 * **Genus:** Loxodonta
 * **Species:** Africana

=Niche=

Habitat
African bush elephants normally live in all parts Africa south of the Saharan Desert. They can live in most biomes found in Africa, including deserts, forests, savannas, river valleys, and marshes. Because of poaching and other man-made intrusions, the total amount of land they occupy has decreased, but they can still be found throughout Southern Africa.

The African Elephant has no particular housing requirements. It can survive in most South African climates.

Physical Properties
The African Elephant is a large land mammal, with a mass ranging from 3600 to 6000 kilograms. Their most prominent physical features not found in other land mammals are the large ears (each as much as four feet accross), the tusks (actually 8-foot-long incisors), and the five-foot long trunk (capable of lifting 250 kilograms). African Elephants are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males and females are significantly different in appearance. Male elephants are usually around 12 feet tall, whereas females only reach 9 feet.

Inter-Species Interaction
Elephants are considered "social animals". They live in small groups of 10-15 elephants, with a female leader. Males usually migrate between species. Elephants will protect their young, sleeping in a circle around them at night so that predators will not be able to attack them.

Reproduction
Elephants reproduce sexually, with a gestation period of 20-22 months. Elephants give birth every 4-9 years, weaning the older calf a few months before the next is to be born. Female elephants remain in the group they were born to for life, whereas male elephants begin to migrate as soon as they have reached sexual maturity.

Relationships to Other Species
Elephants have only limited interaction with other species. They are vegetarian (no predator-prey relationships) and are very difficult to eat. Because vegetation is not particularly scarce, there are no competition relationships. Their thick skin also makes it difficult for parasites to take hold, although there are numerous parasites that are capable of doing so.

As Prey
Because of their great size, and 2.5-inch-thick skin protecting them from bites, African Elephants are not the primary food of any other animal. Occasionally, lions and other top predators may attack calves when not being protected by adults.

Diet
Elephants are herbivores, meaning that they only eat plants. Their diet mainly consists of grasses, tree leaves, fruits, shrubs, and vines.

Other
The African Eggplant must pass through the elephant's digestive system to be fertilized.

Because of their size, elephants affect their environment in a way that few other animals can. They can uproot trees when searching for food, turning forests into grasslands. When they walk, their feet disturb the soil, providing other organisms with food.

=Comparison to Black Rhinoceros=

The African Bush Elephant and Black Rhinoceros are generally similar. Both are large, vegetarian land mammals belonging to the infraclass Eutheria. (An infraclass is a taxonomic division more specific than 'class' but less specific than order.)

Habitat
The African Bush Elephant's habitat mostly includes that of the Black Rhinoceros, as you can see from the maps shown at right. The African Elephant is capable of living in the same climates in which a Black Rhinoceros lives. Unlike Black Rhinoceri, African Elephants do not have to live particularly close to a major water source, as they



Niche
Since the African Elephant is already native to the regions in which it would need to act as a replacement for the Black Rhinoceros, we need only ensure that it can interact with its environment in all the ways that a Black Rhinoceros can, and not worry about the ways it interacts with its environment that the Black Rhinoceros does not. Both are herbivores, and the African Elephant can and does eat everything the Black Rhinoceros does. Both are relatively invulnerable to predators due to their size and other features. The Black Rhinoceros can fend of predators with its horn, and the African Elephant has a thick skin that makes it nearly impossible to prey upon. (The Black Rhinoceros's skin is also tough, but not as thick as the elephant's.)

Miscellaneous Similarities
Other similarities between the Black Rhinoceros and African Bush Elephant may not contribute to allowing the African Elephant to take over the Black Rhinoceros's role, but are interesting nonetheless. In particular, both are capable of running up to 30 miles per hour despite their size.

=Replacement Process=

It is important to note that African Elephants are also endangered, and like the Black Rhinoceros, they are listed as an //Appendix I// endangered species (most serverly endangered). If the Black Rhinoceros was to become extinct, the population of African Elephants might not be enough to serve as a complete replacement.

Other than that, the replacement process would be smooth and automatic, with little necessity for human intervention. The African Elephant population already occupies the same regions, and is capable of serving as a substitute for the Black Rhinoceros. There is no risk of it acting as an invasive species.

It may be necessary to impose stricter regulations on Elephant hunting, so that the population can grow large enough to completely replace the Black Rhinoceri.

=Works Cited=


 * “African Elephant Taxonomy.” //Division of International Conservation.// U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5 Apr. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. .
 * Allison, F. “African Elephant.” //Blue Planet Biomes.// N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. .
 * Hare, Tony. //Animal Fact File.// Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 1999. Print.
 * Norwood, L. “Loxodonta africana.” //Animal Diversity Web.// N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. .

=External Links=

The pages listed below are not necessarily sources, but do contain useful information.

All external links open in a new window/frame.


 * African Bush Elephant article on Wikipedia
 * African Elephant article on Wikipedia
 * African Elephant Taxonomy at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
 * Loxodonta africana Information at U. Michigan Museum of Zoology