Is the native Sri Lankan elephant physically bigger than the African elephant?

No, the native Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is physically smaller than both the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant. Still, it is also the largest and darkest of the three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant.

An adult male Sri Lankan elephant usually weighs between 2,500 and 5,500 kg and can stand up to about 3.5 metres tall at the shoulder. Meanwhile, male African bush elephants may weigh over 6,000 kg and reach around 4 metres in height. Also, unlike African elephants, where both sexes show large tusks, only about 7% of male Sri Lankan elephants have visible tusks, so those tusked males are a rare sight.