Even African elephants vary in size and kind. The best known and most numerous are the savannah elephants, which live out in the open plains of sub-Saharan Africa. There are also forest elephants in the rainforests which are rather smaller, with tusks that turn down and smaller, rounder ears. The mighty savannah elephant boasts the greatest size, the biggest ears and the largest, curving tusks. They also live longer. A bull may get as much as 25 feet long and 11 feet tall. There is some evidence that west African elephants may compose a third species which falls between the two in physical characteristics.
Other than its size, an elephant's most distinguishing feature is, of course, its trunk. This marvel of manipulation contains about 100,000 different muscles which allow it to bend, curl, grab and lift. African elephants have two finger-like extensions on the end of their trunks that allow them to handle fine objects. At the same time, their trunks serve the usual purpose of a nose: Breathing and smelling. They use their trunks to feed themselves, bathe themselves, drink, tear down trees, trumpet warnings to their enemies and even as snorkels when swimming.
The purpose of those enormous Africa-shaped ears is to cool off the body. An elephant can flap its ears in an expression of excitement or happiness. This flapping makes a sound which will attract the attention of other near-by elephants. Their great tusks, which are characteristic of both male and female elephants, are used to strip edible bark off trees and dig in the earth for food and water. Males may use their tusks to do battle.
Elephants have many ways they communicate with each other. They use body language, such as flapping their ears, or the position of their trunks. They use their tails to feel behind themselves where they can't see so they can keep the appropriate distance from each other. They touch and smell with their trunks and can also trumpet with them, although they usually only do that when threatened. They don't make a lot of noise but they may rumble at other elephants they know well and unusual events can make them squeak or bellow. Some of their sounds are at low frequencies which are capable of traveling a mile or more.
