Elephants are large mammals of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. Three species have been identified: Loxodonta africana, L. cyclotis and elephants maximus. Elephants are found all over sub Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia. Elephantidae is the only surviving family in the Proboscidea order; other (now extinct) members include dinather, gomphotheres, mammoths and mastoides. The male African elephant is the largest living terrestrial animal, which can reach a height of 4 m (13 ft) and weigh 7000 kg (15000 lb). All elephants have several distinctive features, the most striking of which are long trunks or noses, which can be used for many purposes, especially breathing, lifting water and grasping objects. Their incisors grow into ivory and can be used as weapons, moving objects and digging tools. The big ear flap of an elephant helps to control its temperature. Their cylindrical legs can carry a lot of weight. African elephants have larger ears and concave back, while Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or horizontal back.

Elephants are herbivores, which can be found in different habitats such as prairie, forest, desert and swamp. They prefer to be near the water. Because of their impact on the environment, they are considered to be key species. Other animals tend to keep distance from elephants, while predators such as lions, tigers, hyenas and any wild dog usually target only young elephants (or "calves"). Females ("cattle") tend to live in families, which may include a female calf or several related female offspring. These groups are led by a person called the maternal line, usually the oldest cow. Elephants have a fission and integration society in which multiple families come together to socialize. Men ("males") leave their families after puberty and can live alone or with other men. Most of the adult bulls interact with family members when they are looking for a mate, and enter into a state of increased testosterone and aggression, known as potherb, which helps them gain dominance and reproductive success. Calves are the focus of family attention and rely on their mothers for up to three years. Elephants can live in the wild for 70 years. They communicate through touch, vision, smell and sound; elephants use infrasound and seismic communications over long distances. The intelligence of elephants has been compared with that of primates and whales. They seem to be self-conscious and sympathetic to the same type of dying or dying individual.

African elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for conservation of nature (IUCN), while Asian elephants are listed as endangered. The ivory trade is one of the biggest threats to elephant populations because these animals poach for ivory. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflict with local people. Elephants are used as working animals in Asia. In the past, they were used in wars; today, they are often controversial in zoos or used for entertainment in circuses. Elephants are well-known and have their own characteristics in art, folklore, religion, literature and popular culture.