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4 unusual facts about North African elephant


North African elephant

Writing in the 2nd century BC, Polybius (The Histories; 5.83) described their inferiority in battle against the larger Indian elephants used by the Seleucid kings.

The North African elephant (Loxodonta africana pharaoensis) was a possible subspecies of the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), or possibly a separate elephant species, that existed in North Africa until becoming extinct in Ancient Roman times.

Syrian elephant

(The usual Carthaginian war elephants, despite popular depictions, were the smaller North African elephants Loxodonta africana pharaoensis, an African bush elephant population or subspecies also now extinct.)

North African elephant, a subspecies of African elephant that became extinct around the 2nd century BC.


African bush elephant

The North African elephant (L. a. pharaohensis), also known as the Carthaginian elephant or Atlas elephant, was the animal famously used as a war elephant by Carthage in its long struggle against Rome.


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