The elephant is the largest land animal on Earth. The weight of a full-grown male is not a simple number, but a substantial range that depends heavily on its species. A mature bull elephant can easily tip the scales at several tons, a mass resulting from decades of continuous growth and consuming hundreds of pounds of vegetation daily.
The Specific Weight Ranges by Species
The weight of a full-grown male elephant is highly dependent on its species, with three distinct types recognized globally. The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the heaviest, with mature males averaging about 6 metric tons (6,000 kilograms or 13,200 pounds). These giants typically range between 4,700 and 7,000 kilograms, though the largest recorded individual weighed an astonishing 10.4 metric tons.
The African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is considerably smaller, reflecting its dense jungle habitat. A full-grown male generally weighs between 3,000 and 4,000 kilograms (6,600 and 8,800 pounds). This makes the forest elephant the smallest of the African species, with bulls rarely exceeding 4 tons in mass.
The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), found across South and Southeast Asia, falls between the two African species in size. Adult males average around 4 metric tons (4,000 kilograms or 8,800 pounds). Their weight range spans from approximately 1,800 to 5,000 kilograms.
Defining “Full Grown”: The Elephant Growth Timeline
The term “full grown” relates to a prolonged growth period that differs significantly between physical and social maturity. Male elephants reach physical maturity, where the rate of growth begins to significantly slow, around 21 years of age. However, skeletal growth may not fully cease in African bulls until they are around 40 years old.
This means that while an elephant may be considered physically mature in its early twenties, its body mass and skeletal structure may continue to increase slowly for another two decades. Males become sexually mature much earlier, around 10 to 12 years old, but they are not socially mature enough to successfully compete for mates until they reach their mid-twenties. The rapid weight gain of adolescence is followed by this slower, sustained growth that adds mass throughout much of their adult lives.
Supporting Size Measurements and Physical Context
Bull elephants possess corresponding physical measurements to support their immense weight. African Bush Elephant males stand between 3.04 and 3.36 meters (10 to 11 feet) at the shoulder, with some individuals reaching up to 4 meters (13 feet) tall. Their average body length, from the head to the base of the tail, can reach up to 5 meters (16.5 feet).
The Asian Elephant male is slightly shorter, with a shoulder height ranging from 2 to 3.5 meters (6.6 to 11.5 feet). Overall mass is influenced by external factors, including the quality of the habitat and the availability of food resources. Elephants living in areas with poor forage are often significantly smaller relative to their age compared to those in resource-rich environments.
An elephant’s tusks also contribute a measurable amount to its total mass. For African elephants, male tusks can weigh between 23 and 45 kilograms (51 and 99 pounds) each.