elephant
elephant Elephants are large mammals of the family Elephantidae in the order Proboscidea . Three species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), the African forest elephant ( L. cyclotis ), and the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa , South Asia , and Southeast Asia . Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; other, now extinct, members of the order include deinotheres , gomphotheres , mastodons , anancids and stegodontids ; Elephantidae itself also contains several now extinct groups, such as the mammoths and straight-tusked elephants . All elephants have several distinctive features, the most notable of which is a long trunk (also called a proboscis ), used for many purposes, particularly breathing, lifting water, and grasping object...