Which elephant species is specially adapted to Africa’s tropical rainforests?

The African forest elephant is the elephant species specially adapted to Africa’s tropical rainforests.

African forest elephants live mainly in the forests of Central and West Africa. They are smaller than African bush elephants, which helps them move through dense vegetation. Their straighter, downward-pointing tusks are useful for navigating forest habitats and feeding.

The species was long treated as a population of the African bush elephant, but genetic and morphological evidence supports recognising the forest elephant as a distinct species. Its scientific name is Loxodonta cyclotis.

Forest elephants disperse seeds over long distances after eating fruit, making them important engineers of rainforest ecosystems. Poaching for ivory and the loss and fragmentation of forest have caused major declines. They are classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.