Elephants are among the strangest-looking giants on the planet, with massive floppy ears, great tusks, and a trunk that inhales water at 330 mph. At Live Science, our expert writers and editors tell you all about the elephant family, from why wild African elephants may have domesticated themselves and how some African elephants lost their tusks after rampant poaching, to fact-checking a viral story about "drunk" Asian elephants, so there are always news, features and articles about elephants to read.
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—Elephants: Earth's largest living land-animals
Latest about Elephants
Elephants say 'hello' to friends by flapping their ears and making little rumbly noises
Elephants use ear flaps, rumbles, trunk reaches and other forms of communication to greet peers, new research suggests.
'Most of Gorongosa's large animals had died': How an African paradise for nature recovered from the ravages of war
"Where once there had been more than two thousand elephants, now there were fewer than two hundred."
'They are very well aware of their agency': Elephant calf burial ritual discovered in India
Elephant burial rituals have been discovered in India, with herd members placing calves upside down in irrigation pits then covering the bodies with soil.
Watch a rare pink albino elephant baby playing by a waterhole in adorable footage
The adorable 1-year-old male calf was filmed enjoying playtime in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Scientists may have finally figured out how elephants got their incredible trunks
Elephants appear to have evolved their long, grasping trunks as a result of climate change pressures on their ancestors millions of years ago.
'It's really quite remarkable': An interview with elephant expert Ross MacPhee about the giant pachyderms
In this interview, elephant expert Ross MacPhee explains how the giant animals' tusks record every week of their lives and why their noses are so remarkable.
Dwarf elephants and shedding mammoths shine at NYC's 'Secret World of Elephants'
A new show on "The Secret World of Elephants" at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City dishes on the evolution and remarkable lives of these huge (and sometimes dwarf) pachyderms.
Elephants give each other names — the 1st non-human animals to do so, study claims
Elephants in Kenya's Amboseli National Park appear to call to each other with individual names using low, complex "rumbles," a study has found.
