Last Updated on April 10, 2023 by Amin Tawar
Elephant Height
If you are watching a giant elephant on a safari, you may be wondering about its size compared to other elephants and animals.
Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, and their size can vary depending on the species and individual. However, some elephants can be much taller than this, with some individuals reaching heights of up to 16 feet at the shoulder.
The average height of an elephant can vary depending on its species and where it lives. African elephants are generally taller than Asian elephants, with the former reaching up to 2.5 to 4 m (8.2 to 13 feet) tall at the shoulder.
The average adult male African elephant is about 21-24 feet long, while the average adult female is about 19-22 feet long.
Asian elephants are slightly smaller, with the average adult male being about 18-20 feet long and the average adult female being about 17-19 feet long.
There are several types of elephants that you could come across on your trip to a forest or zoo, and it can be quite confusing to tell apart which elephant it is.
For instance, some elephants look quite alike in terms of their physical appearance, but you can distinguish them based on their size.
Asian Elephant Height
Asian elephants, also known as Asiatic elephants, are a species of elephant found in Asia. They are smaller and lighter in color than their African counterparts and have smaller, rounder ears and a more pronounced forehead.
The average height of an Asian elephant is around 7-10 feet at the shoulder, although individual elephants can vary in size.
Male Asian elephants are typically larger than females, that is male Asian elephants can reach a height of up to 2.7-3 m (8.8-9.8 ft) and female Asian elephants can reach a height of 2-2.4 m (6.5-7.9 ft). 1
| Elephant Height | Asian elephant |
| Male | 2.7-3 m (8.8-9.8 ft) |
| Female | 2-2.4 m (6.5-7.9 ft) |
African Bush Elephant Height
Moving on to another giant elephant type, the African Bush Elephant, also known as the savannah elephant, is a species of elephant found in sub-Saharan Africa.
The African bush elephant is the tallest land animal, and its size, combined with its strong muscles and large tusks, make it a powerful and imposing creature.
The African Bush Elephant is the largest of all elephant species and is distinguished by its large ears, tusks, and wrinkled skin. Additionally, the species can also be distinguished by their enormous height.
The African bush elephant is the tallest land animal, with an average height of around 10-13 feet at the shoulder, although some individuals can reach heights of up to 16 feet. The male African elephants are quite large than the female ones.
While on one hand, the male African elephant has a height of about 3.2–4 m (10.4-13 ft) and the female has a height of about 2.2–2.6 m (7.2–8.5 ft).
| Elephant Height | African elephant |
| Male | 3.2–4 m (10.4-13 ft) |
| Female | 2.2–2.6 m (7.2–8.5 ft) |
Baby Elephant Height
While the adult elephants are quite large and giant in size, their young ones are not really very small when compared to young ones of other animal species.
That is, on an average baby elephants, also known as calves, are born after a gestation period of around 22 months, are typically around 1 m (3 ft) tall, and weigh between 120 kg (264 lb) at birth. Despite their small size at birth, baby elephants are able to stand up and walk within just a few hours.
The height of a baby Asian elephant can vary depending on the individual and their age. However, baby Asian elephants are typically quite small at birth, and may have a height of around 2-3 feet at the shoulder.
As they grow and develop, they can gain height quickly and may reach heights of up to 7-10 feet at the shoulder by the time they are 1 year old. .
A baby African elephant also referred to as a savannah elephant also grows taller as it gets older like most other living species.
But newborn African elephants are typically quite small, standing as little as 2-3 feet tall at the shoulder. By the time they are a year old, they could have grown as tall as 10 to 13 feet at the shoulder, which is quite larger than the baby Asian elephant.
Moreover, an average adult African elephant is about 10 to 13 feet at the shoulder, which is about 3 feet larger than the Asian elephant of the same age.
Quite surprisingly and not so surprisingly, baby elephants are born small but grow quickly, reaching adult size by the time they are around 12 years old.
They are able to stand and walk soon after birth and will continue to grow and develop until they reach their full size.
| Baby elephant Height | Asian elephant | African elephant |
| At birth | 2-3 feet | 2-3 feet |
| 1 year | 7-10 feet | 10 to 13 feet |
Read Elephant Complete Size Detail With Body Parts Size
How Tall Is A Fully Grown Elephant?
The height of a fully grown elephant can vary depending on the species and individual, that is whether it is an Asian or an African elephant.
This difference in height is thought to be due to a number of factors, including the availability of food and the type of habitat in which the elephants live.
The average height of an African elephant, the largest of all elephant species, is around 3.96 m (13 ft 0 in) at the shoulder, although some individuals can reach heights of up to 16 feet.
The average height of an Asian elephant, the other species of elephant found in Asia, is around 2 and 3.2 m (6.6 and 10.5 ft) at the shoulder, although some individuals can be taller or shorter than this.
Moreover, male elephants of both species are typically larger and taller than females and can reach greater heights at the shoulder.
Elephant Height Compared To Human
Moving on, let’s have a look at how we would look beside a giant elephant. Quite small, right? The size of African and Asian elephants compared to humans is quite impressive, and is one of the many fascinating features of these animals.
While elephants are much taller and heavier than humans, they are gentle and intelligent creatures and are an important part of their respective ecosystems.
To be specific, African and Asian elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, and their size can be quite impressive compared to that of humans.
The average height of an African elephant is around 10-13 feet at the shoulder, while the average height of an Asian elephant is around 7-10 feet at the shoulder.
In comparison, the average size of an adult human is around 5.5-5.9 feet. This means that, at their average height, an African elephant is around 2-3 times taller than a human, while an Asian elephant is around 1-1.5 times taller than a human.
| Animal species | Average length/height |
| Elephant | 8.2 to 13 feet (2.5 to 4 meters) |
| Average adult human | 5.5 to 5.9 feet |
Elephant Height Vs Giraffe Height Compared
Overall, elephants are truly massive animals, both in terms of height and length. Their enormous size is one of the key factors that set them apart from other land animals and makes them so impressive. However, are they taller than a giraffe? Not really!
The giraffe is the tallest land animal, with an average height of around 16-20 feet at the shoulder, although some individuals can reach heights of up to 23 feet.
Moreover, the average height of an African elephant, the largest of all elephant species, is around 10-13 feet at the shoulder, while the average height of a giraffe is around 16-20 feet at the shoulder. This means that, on average, a giraffe is around 1.5-1.7 times taller than an African elephant.
| Animal species | Average length/height |
| Elephant | 8.2 to 13 feet (2.5 to 4 meters) |
| Giraffe | 18 feet (5.5 meters) |
Elephant Vs Mammoth Height Comparison
While it quite really helps in understanding the size of a creature by its own height or weight, it could be even more helpful if you look at it from the perspective of the size of a different animal such as the giant Mammoth. This is because one key difference between mammoths and modern elephants is their size.
Mammoths were a type of prehistoric elephant that lived during the Pleistocene epoch, from about 2.5 million to 4,500 years ago.
They were generally slightly larger than modern elephants, and some species, such as the woolly mammoth, stood up to 14 feet tall at the shoulder. In contrast, the elephants are slightly smaller, having a height of about 8.2 to 13 feet (2.5 to 4 meters).
| Animal species | Average length/height |
| Elephant | 8.2 to 13 feet (2.5 to 4 meters) |
| Mammoth | 4 m (13.1 ft) at the shoulder |
Conclusion
And that was everything you need to know about the height of an Elephant. I hope this article was informative enough and your queries were answered.
Thank You For Reading!
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