An elephant is a mammal , specifically a large land mammal in the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea.

Quick Scoop

  • Elephants are the largest living land animals.
  • They are warm‑blooded, grow hair (though sparse), and females produce milk for their young, which are key mammal traits.
  • They belong to the family Elephantidae and are the only living members of the order Proboscidea.
  • Three main species are recognized today: African bush elephant, African forest elephant, and Asian elephant.

A Tiny Bit More Detail

  • Scientific grouping: mammals → order Proboscidea → family Elephantidae → genera Loxodonta (African) and Elephas (Asian).
  • As mammals, elephants give birth to live young, nurse them with milk, and have relatively complex brains and social behavior.

TL;DR: If you’re asking “what type of animal is an elephant,” the precise answer is: a large herbivorous mammal in the family Elephantidae (order Proboscidea), and the largest land mammal alive today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.