Elephant Species and Their Astonishing Weights: A Comprehensive Guide

The elephant is the largest land animal on the planet. There are three kinds of elephants: the African savanna (or bush), the African forest, and the Asian elephant. Let’s take a look at all three to see how much these giant creatures weigh.

How Much Does an Elephant Weigh?

Elephants generally weigh between 4,500 and 11,000 pounds on average. How large an elephant gets depends on which of the three elephant species it is. However, the largest elephant on record weighed 24,000 pounds (more on this below!), so in very rare cases they can weigh truly extraordinary weights!

Let’s dig a little deeper into the weight of different elephant species.

#3. African Forest Elephant

The African forest elephant lives in the rainforests of West and Central Africa. They have the fewest numbers and are considered endangered. As babies, elephants start out at 200 pounds and grow to be 1-3 tons (4,400-8,800 pounds). A mini-van weighs 4,600 pounds, so it is about the size of a small African forest elephant!

#2. Asian Elephant

The truth is, ranking the African forest elephant and Asian elephant is an inexact science, as you could make an argument for either one being larger. Male Asian elephants typically weigh up to 8,800 pounds (similar to African forest elephants) while females weigh up to about 6,000 pounds. The largest Asian elephant ever recorded weighed about 15,400 pounds. On the other hand, African forest elephants were only recently recognized as a distinct species, so it’s hard to say just how large they get!

The bottom line? Both the elephant species that typically live in forest environments are smaller than the largest elephant on this list, the savanna (or bush) elephant that lives across African plains.

#1. African Bush Elephant

African bush elephants live in sub-Saharan Africa on the plains and savannas. African savanna babies weigh an average of 264 pounds with some starting out as big as 364 pounds! As adults, they range in size from 2.5-7 tons (5,000-14,000 pounds). A large African savanna elephant is about the size of your favorite street taco truck!

What Part of the Elephant is the Heaviest?

• Big Brain: 10 pounds

A research study showed that an African elephant’s brain weighs 10 pounds and has 257 billion neurons! That is three times bigger and has three times more neurons than a human brain.

• Giant Tooth: 11 pounds

The back molars of an African elephant can weigh 11 pounds and get to be 16 inches wide!

• Ginormous Ears: 100 pounds EACH

African elephant ears are used to help elephants stay cool. Their ears can be 6 feet tall!

• Heavy Tusks: 110-175 pounds EACH

Both male and female African elephants can grow tusks. The adult male tusks are 110-175 pounds each and the female tusks are quite a bit smaller at 40-44 pounds.

What is the Heaviest Elephant Ever Recorded?

A Hungarian game hunter donated the hide of this enormous elephant to the Smithsonian in 1959. It was shot in Angola and the hide was preserved. The elephant on display has been given the name “Henry” and is carefully cleaned and maintained by museum staff. Most rooms have 8-foot tall ceilings so Henry wouldn’t fit. A school bus weighs around 24,000 pounds, the same as Henry. Now that is a big elephant!