How much does an elephant weigh?
An adult male African bush elephant usually weighs about 5,000 to 6,000 kilograms (5.5 to 6.6 tons). Asian elephants are smaller, with males weighing around 4,000 to 5,000 kg.
The African bush elephant is the largest land animal on Earth. Large males can stand about 3 to 4 meters tall at the shoulder. Females are smaller, usually weighing around 3,000 kilograms.
There are three species of elephants: the African bush elephant, the smaller African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. A newborn elephant calf already weighs about 90 to 120 kilograms.
Eating to stay big
To support their size, elephants eat about 150 kilograms of plants a day, including grass, leaves, bark and fruit. They can spend up to 16 hours a day feeding and drink more than 100 liters of water.
Weighing a wild elephant is not easy, so scientists often estimate weight from measurements such as shoulder height and body length. In zoos, elephants can step onto large scales. Keepers track their weight regularly, because sudden changes can be an early sign of illness, and a healthy diet helps prevent joint and foot problems in such heavy animals.
Did You Know?
The heaviest elephant on record was a male African bush elephant shot in Angola in 1974, estimated to weigh about 10,900 kilograms.