The largest African elephant ever documented was said to have weighed 24,000 pounds. To put things in perspective, this elephant weighed as much as 121 average U.S men.
How much does a baby elephant weigh?
On average, a newborn elephant weighs between 200-300 pounds. This range is about 1-2 times that of the regular U.S man at 197.9 pounds. More often than not, male elephants are heavier than females. Also, African elephants are usually bigger than Asian elephants.
Of all mammals, the gestation period of elephants is the longest (18-22 months).
The lengthiness of the gestation period is necessitated by the size of their babies. Since baby elephants are so large, their fetal development is slow, and they need more time to develop.
Elephants are very intelligent, and they have the largest brains among land animals. The extended gestation period permits proper development of their brains.
In this article, we explore elephant weights from birth to maturity. We also explore the weight distribution across the different types of elephants and some interesting facts.
Table of Contents
How Much Does a Baby Elephant Weigh at Birth?
An elephant’s pregnancy lasts for almost 2 years (18-22 months). This extended period makes it possible for their newborn calves, the largest baby animals on land, to develop properly.
At birth, a baby elephant will stand at about 3 feet and weigh around 200-300 pounds. Calves of African elephants may even weigh as much as 364 pounds at birth.
How Much Does a Baby Elephant Weigh at Six Months?
Of course, as a baby elephant grows, it will become larger.
While there is no specific range for the weight of 6-month old elephant calves, there is some interesting information available about growth rates.
As revealed by the San Diego Zoo, in the first 12 months of their lives, elephants gain 2-3 pounds daily.
With this information, we can estimate how much a baby elephant would weigh at 6 months.
At a rate of 2-3 pounds a day, an elephant can gain an average of 360-540 pounds over 6 months, or 180 days.
At birth, elephants weigh 200-300 pounds, so by the time they are 6-months old, an elephant can weigh 560-840 pounds.
How Much Does a Baby Elephant Weigh After One Year?
If a baby elephant continues to gain weight at an average of 2-3 pounds daily, they can gain 730-1,095 pounds in a year.
Adding this to their average weight at birth, a baby elephant at one year will weigh 930-1,395 pounds.
Remember, these values are estimates. Factors like food, environment, and physical activity can affect the bodyweight of elephants.
How Much Does a Baby Elephant Weigh When Fully Grown?
A fully grown elephant weighs 5,000-14,000 pounds while standing at about 8.2 to 13 feet.
Usually, it takes 15-25 years for elephants to fully grow in size. Within this same timeframe, elephants mature emotionally.
More times than not, female elephants reach peak maturity earlier than males.
Do Different Types of Elephants Have Different Weight Ranges?
There are 3 main types of elephants: Asian, African Forest, and African Bush. Each species has unique attributes and different weight ranges.
Generally, African Bush Elephants are larger than Asian Elephants. Asian Elephants, in turn, are larger than African Forest Elephants.
- African Bush Elephants: 5,000-14,000 pounds
- African Forest Elephants: 4,000-10,000 pounds
- Asian Elephants: 4,500-12,000 pounds
Asian Elephants
There are 3 subspecies of Asian Elephants: Sri Lankan, Sumatran, and Indian. These 3 groups also have different weight ranges.
Sri Lankan elephants are the largest subspecies with a weight range of 4,500-12,000 pounds.
Indian elephants have a weight range of 6,000-8,000 pounds, while Sumatran elephants weigh between 6,500-11,000 pounds.
Elephant Weight Chart
| Age | Pounds | Kilograms | Stones |
| Newborn | 200-300 | 91-136 | 14-21 |
| 6 Months | 560-840 | 254-381 | 40-60 |
| 1 Year | 930-1,395 | 422-633 | 66-100 |
| Adult Male | 5,000-14,000 | 2,300-6,400 | 357-1,000 |
| Adult Female | 6,000-8,000 | 2,800-3,700 | 429-571 |
Resources
- https://www.elephantsforafrica.org/elephant-facts/#
- https://www.healthline.com/health/mens-health/average-weight-for-men
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/african-elephant
- https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-long-are-elephants-pregnant
- https://www.treehugger.com/animals-with-the-longest-gestation-period-4869368
- https://beef2live.com/story-top-10-mammals-longest-gestation-periods-0-109722
- https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-babies-animal-kingdom-whales-elephants-giraffes-2019-9
- https://www.livescience.com/27320-elephants.html
- https://en.upali.ch/bigness-and-weight/
- https://animals.mom.com/age-elephant-full-grown-3424.html
- https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/forest-elephant
- https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/indian-elephant
- https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sumatran-elephant
- https://seaworld.org/animals/all-about/elephants/characteristics/#
- https://onekindplanet.org/animal/elephant-sumatran/
- https://a-z-animals.com/animals/indian-elephant/