Elephants are creatures which have fascinated many people for quite some time. Did you know that not all elephants are the same? It's true. If you don't know how to tell the difference between an African and an Asian elephant, you should learn. The differences in the elephant anatomy between the two species are minor, but they are there.

Elephants have always been massive creatures. There are very few natural predators that are capable of taking them down by themselves unless an elephant is old or sick. Man is, and always has been its biggest concern. Although a group of predators may be able to take one down by working together, it is the destruction of habitat and poaching for ivory that has put the elephant in danger of extinction.

Elephants have evolved into several species including the Asian and African elephant. These have then further evolved into other subspecies. Subspecies usually evolve as a population group becomes cut off from the other populations and is forced to change in order to survive under different environmental conditions.

They all have common anatomical features that make them recognizable. These include general body shape, tusks and the trunk. While they are able to perform many actions such as walking, running and sitting, they are the only mammal which cannot jump.

THe body shape of an elephant has not changed although the size has become smaller over millions of years. Ancestral pachyderms were much more massive, with thick legs and huge fat deposits under the skin. This, along with thick, dense fur kept the ancestor of the modern elephant warm in frigid conditions. The fat pad allowed them to survive during times when food was less plentiful. Now, elephants live in warm climates where food is easier to find and overheating is an issue. There is less of a fat deposit present in modern elephants and body hair is much thinner and sparser.

The trunk has not changed much although some subspecies have two "fingers" on the tip of their trunk and others have one. This may have something to do with the foods that the elephants are surviving on, and one elephant subspecies may need the ability for more delicate manipulation than the others.

Tusks have also changed since prehistoric times. Once, mammoths had huge tusks that curved out before them. Modern tusks are very impressive but are shorter. This may be because now elephants, especially Asian elephants live in areas where there is a lot of vegetation that longer tusks may get tangled in. Some Asian elephants actually have tushes instead of tusks. These are modified teeth which are smaller and cannot be seen if the elephant's mouth is shut. Some elephants native to Sri Lanka do not have tusks regardless of whether they are male or female.

Elephants are fascinating to observe because they have changed so much over the years. Their social structure remains basically the same but their anatomy has changed so much since the days when mammoths roamed the Earth.