tusker

Tusker is a common term for an elephant with notably long tusks. Tusks are elongated incisor teeth that grow throughout an elephant’s life and are used for foraging, stripping bark from trees, digging for water and minerals, defense, and social signaling. The presence and size of tusks depend on species, sex, age, and genetics, and they wear with use over time. In Africa, both sexes typically grow tusks, though the size and shape vary.

In Asian elephants, tusks are usually found in males, while many females are tuskless or have only small tusks. In African elephants, forest and savannah populations show variation: forest elephants may have thinner, more curved tusks; savannah elephants often have larger tusks. The term “tusker” is descriptive rather than a formal taxonomic category.

Conservation and poaching concerns: Elephant populations have suffered from ivory poaching and habitat loss, leading to protective measures under international and regional laws. In some populations, poaching has increased the incidence of tusklessness, as tusked individuals are selectively removed. Efforts focus on anti-poaching, habitat protection, and reducing human-elephant conflict; elephants play a key ecological role through seed dispersal and landscape modification, making their conservation a priority in many regions.