African Elephant
African elephants are the elephants of the genus Loxodonta (Greek for 'oblique-sided tooth'), consisting of two extant species: the African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant. Loxodonta is one of the two existing genera in the family Elephantidae. Although it is commonly believed that the genus was named by Georges Cuvier in 1825, Cuvier spelled it "Loxodonte". An anonymous author romanized the spelling to "Loxodonta", and the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) recognizes this as the proper authority.
Fossil members of Loxodonta have only been found in Africa, where they developed in the middle Pliocene.
Read more about African Elephant: Description, Distribution and Habitat, Classification, Behavior, Conservation
Famous quotes containing the words african and/or elephant:
“The fact that white people readily and proudly call themselves white, glorify all that is white, and whitewash all that is glorified, becomes unnatural and bigoted in its intent only when these same whites deny persons of African heritage who are Black the natural and inalienable right to readilyproudlycall themselves black, glorify all that is black, and blackwash all that is glorified.”
—Abbey Lincoln (b. 1930)
“The elephant sneezed
And fell on his knees,
And that was the end of the monk,
the monk, the monk.”
—Unknown. Animal Fair. . .
New Treasury of Childrens Poetry, A; Old Favorites and New Discoveries. Joanna Cole, comp. (1984)