Tuesday is World Elephant Day. 5 things to know about the world's largest land mammals

BELA-BELA, South Africa — Tuesday is World Elephant Day. Here are five things to know about the largest land animals on our planet.

Tell them apart by their ears

There are three species of elephants: the African savanna or bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. The African savanna elephant and the Asian elephant are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The forest elephant is critically endangered.

The easiest way to tell the difference among the species is the ears. African elephants have larger ears that are shaped, conveniently, like the African continent. African elephants also have two finger-like prehensile extensions at the tips of their trunks to grip things with, while Asian elephants have one.

Biggest of the bi