The elephant is by far the largest land mammal

Elephants - description and characteristics

Being herbivores, elephants have few enemies and will not attack anyone. Today they can be seen in the wild, not only as pets, but also in national parks, nature reserves, circuses and zoos. We know everything about elephants, including their lifespan, their diet, and how long they take to become pregnant. But secrets romain.

How much does an elephant weigh? 

Few land mammals can boast such a size and should not be confused with any other. These monsters can grow up to 4.5 meters tall and weigh as much as 7 tons. The biggest of these goliaths is the African savannah monster. Their Indian compatriots are somewhat lighter, weighing up to 5.5 tons for men and 4.5 tons for women. The forest elephant is the lightest, weighing up to three tons. There are also dwarf species that weigh less than a ton in the wild.

The elephant's skeleton

The elephant's skeleton is strong and can carry a lot of weight. The body is massive and muscular. The head is enormous and has a projecting brow. The movable ears are their adornment and serve to regulate heat and communication between tribes. When the herd is attacked, the ears are moved vigorously to intimidate the enemy. The legs are also unique. Contrary to popular belief, these giants are loud and clumsy, but they walk almost silently. Its feet are covered with thick pads of fat that cushion its gait. It is distinguished by its ability to bend its knees and has two kneecaps. The animal has a small tail that ends in a hairless tuft. The young are usually carried by their mother to keep them company.

Elephant trunk 

A special feature is the elephant's trunk, which can weigh up to 200 kg.The storage compartment comprise of an intertwined nose and upper lip. Its trunk is made up of over 100,000 strong muscles and tendons and is incredibly flexible and strong. They use it to pick up plants and put them in their mouths. The elephant's trunk is also the weapon it uses to defend it and to fight its rivals.

Through the trunk, giants also suck up water, which they then carry to their mouths or pour out. Elephants less than a year old can barely use their trunks. They can't use it to drink, for example, but kneel and drink by mouth. But they cling to their mother's tail with their trunk from the first hours of life.

Seeing and hearing elephants

Compared to the size of the animal, the eyes are small and these giants do not have sharp vision. On the other hand, they have excellent hearing and can recognize sounds even with very low frequencies.

Skin

The large mammal has a thick gray or brown skin, full of wrinkles and folds. Its skin is covered with sparse, stiff hairs found only on the calves. Adults have almost none.

The color depends directly on the habitat, as elephants often cover themselves with soil and clay to protect themselves from insects. This is why some of them have a brown or even pink appearance.

Among the giants, albino animals are very rare, but they do exist. In Siam they are considered symbolic animals. White elephants were taken especially for kings.

Jaws

The jewels of giants are their tusks, the older they are, the longer they are. However, not all are the same size. The female Asian elephants, for example, like the rarer males, originally had no such ornaments. The tusks go into the jaws and are considered incisors.

An elephant's teeth provide information about its life expectancy. The teeth wear out year after year, but new teeth grow behind the old ones. It is known how many teeth the mouth of an elephant has. As a rule, there are four molars.

There are some differences in appearance between Indian and African elephants, which will be discussed later.

Types of Elephants

Currently, there are only two types of elephant noses: the African elephant and the Indian elephant (otherwise known as the Asian elephant). African elephants are classified into two groups: savanna elephants, which are the largest species, standing 4.5 meters tall and weighing 7 tons, and Marijuana elephants (dwarf and brown), which prefer tropical forests.

There is no doubt that they are similar, but they are also different in many ways.

• The answer to the question of which is larger, the Indian elephant or the African elephant, is simple. The one that lives in Africa: elephants weigh 1.5 to 2 tons more and are much taller.

• The female Asian elephant has no tusks, while the female African elephant has all tusks.

• There are some differences in the shape of the body, such as the back of the Asian type being higher than the height of the head.

• African animals have large ears.

• African giants have a slightly thinner trunk.

• Indian elephants are more easily domesticated than African elephants and are almost impossible to tame.

The fact that crossing an African trunk with an Indian trunk does not produce offspring indicates a difference at the genetic level.

The lifespan of an elephant is determined by its living environment and the availability of sufficient food and water. It is said that African elephants live slightly longer than others.

The elephant's way of life

The animals are very social: they form herds, led by the oldest and most experienced female. She leads her fellow elephants to feeding areas and keeps them in order.

Scientists have come to some interesting conclusions. All individuals are related. As a rule, they are immature females and males. Adult males leave their families and often live alone or with similar bachelors. They approach familiar flocks only when they are ready to breed and at the call of females.

Animals have highly developed family instincts, and everyone has a role to play. The entire family deals with the kids. When a predator attacks, the elephant is tightly ringed to repel the enemy. Unfortunately, the lifespan of an elephant depends on the ability of its family to provide for all its offspring. The young often die of disease, weakness, or attack by predators (lions, tigers, cheetahs, hyenas, and crocodiles).

Giants need large amounts of water to survive; they can drink up to 200 liters a day, so they try to stay close to water. During the dry season, they dig wells to save not only themselves, but many other animals as well.

The mammalian elephant is a very peaceful animal. They very rarely attack other animals. If a giant is frightened of something and stomps on anyone who gets in its way, it will only cause harm.

The older animals go to one place where many of their contemporaries have died, the Elephant Graveyard, where they spend their last days. Other family members greet them and give them a touching farewell.