African bush elephant (Adult male)
3.2 m (10.5 ft)
Shoulder height
The largest land animal alive today. Measured at the shoulder. Average adult male: 3.2 m at the shoulder.
Published
How big is that?
3.2 m is 1.8 times an adult man and 12% of a blue whale.
African bush elephant is the 16th smallest of the 31 Prehistoric Giants objects, and the 37th smallest of the 109 objects across all three SizeItUp games.
Closest in size from the other games: Perseverance (Mars rover) (Cosmic Scale), 3 m long and Voyager's dish (High-gain antenna) (Cosmic Scale), 3.66 m across.
Size comparison
To scale, smallest to largest: African bush elephant in orange beside the Prehistoric Giants objects nearest in size, in teal.
| Object | Size | vs African bush elephant |
|---|---|---|
| Giant moa (South Island)New Zealand's giant flightless bird, extinct for about 600 years. Measured with its neck stretched up. | 3 m tall | 94% of the size |
| Komodo dragon (Large adult)The largest living lizard, measured nose to tail tip. | 3 m long | 94% of the size |
| African bush elephant (Adult male) | 3.2 m tall | – |
| Giant ground sloth (Megatherium)An elephant-sized sloth from Ice Age South America, standing on its hind legs. | 3.5 m tall | 1.1× bigger |
| Saltwater crocodile (Adult male)The largest living reptile, measured snout to tail. | 5 m long | 1.6× bigger |
In other units
| Centimetres | 320 |
|---|---|
| Metres | 3.2 |
| Inches | 126 |
| Feet | 10.5 |
| Yards | 3.5 |
How it's measured
Shoulder height. Average fully grown male.
Four-legged animals are measured at the shoulder, which stays put while the head moves.
Sources
- app.pan.pl: Larramendi 2016: shoulder height 320 cm for males.
- animals.sandiegozoo.org (supporting): San Diego Zoo: males average 3 to 3.2 m.
Checked against the source on .
Could you have guessed it by eye?
African bush elephant is one of the objects in Prehistoric Giants, a daily size comparison game: you stretch a shape to the size you think is right beside one you know.