Indian & African war elephants in EB

[Conqueror]

African bush elephants are usually larger than indian elephants

But it's a different species than the (extinct) one that was used as war elephants by the Punics. Those ones were smaller than the Indian elephants.

[tk-421]

Yes, the Carthaginians mainly used the African forest elephant, which is smaller. I'm talking about the bush elephants and the Syrian elephants that the Ptolemies used. And forest elephants aren't completely extinct. They still live in some regions in southern Africa.

[Krusader]

The Carthaginians & Ptolemeies used African Forest Elephants which are smaller than the Indian ones. The Ptolemeies got theirs from Ethiopia, while the Carthies got theirs mainly from Atlas mountains it seems.

At Raphia, the Ptolemaic elephants routed since the Indian elephants were bigger.

[tk-421]

Like I said, I'm no expert, but from what I've read the Ptolemies didn't exclusively use the small forest elephants. They used some larger African elephants as well. And the African elephants didn't rout because they were so much smaller, they routed because they were greatly outnumbered.

[Greek_fire19]

From what I understood from other sources the larger african plains elephant (the one we now know as the african elephant) was imossible to discpline and could not be used in battle- aside from the obvious logistical problems of bringing a large elephant across the sahara desert.

[metatron]

From what I understood from other sources the larger african plains elephant (the one we now know as the african elephant) was imossible to discpline and could not be used in battle- aside from the obvious logistical problems of bringing a large elephant across the sahara desert.

Yep.

I looked it up: The Carthaginians used a now extinct variant of the Forest Elephant or a fourth species. Scientists aren't sure, but they must've looked alike.

[Dux Corvanus]

There are three main species -apart from many subvariants:

- African forest elephant: Mostly extinct, although a variant still survives in small numbers. Small, and able to be tamed, usually carried just one of two people.

- African bush elephant (Loxodonta spp): The biggest of living terrestrial animals, these beasts are very big. They have big ears, and a two-hump forefront. Although they could carry a full variety of things, including archer towers and several guys, they were but very rarely used, because they're hard to tame, easily enragered animals, very dangerous both for friends and foes -which usually they didn't distinguish.
- Indian elephant (Elephas spp): The most versatile of all, they were smaller than bush elephants but bigger than forest ones. Small ears, one-hump forefront, very intelligent and easy to tame and teach. They could carry a small tower and up to three guys, including the driver. However, they could also panic and charge against their own troops in close battle.

[tk-421]

I retract all of my statements about the Ptolemies using African bush elephants. I have done some more reading and I was wrong. I still don't think that Asian elephants were better though.