|
| About
African Elephants [more
info] |
| •
African or Asian? [more info] |
| •
Anatomy of an African Elephant [more
info] |
| Elephant
Conservation [more
info] |
| •
What is causing the dramatic decline in the African Elephant
population range? [more info] |
| •
Is captive breeding the solution? [more
info] |
| •
What can you do to save the Elephants [more
info] |
| Breeding
[more info] |
| •
African Elephant breeding basics [more
info] |
| •
Risk reduction [more info] |
| •
One giant step toward breeding success as The Toledo Zoo [more
info] |
|
The Trunk | Tusks
and Teeth | Ears
| Tail, Feet and Skin
|
Elephant's
bodies are well adapted for survival in the rugged conditions of
Africa. These special adaptations include:
The
Trunk
The elephant's trunk does so much more than smell. This "hose
nose" is also used for drinking (actually blowing water into
the mouth), communication, feeding, chemo-communication, offense/defense,
touching, lifting, greeting, caressing, throwing dust, and just
about any other activity an elephant is involved in.
| Fascinating
trunk trivia: |
| • |
The
trunk of a full-grown elephant weighs about 400 pounds. |
| • |
The
trunk can hold up to 2.5 gallons of water. |
| • |
An
elephant can use its trunk as a snorkel when wading in water
over its head. |
| • |
Elephants
maintain social bonds in part by touching, caressing, and
smelling each other with their trunks. |
| • |
The
trunk is the largest nose of any living animal. |
| • |
There
are at least 40,000 muscles in the trunk, which is strong
enough to pick up a log, yet delicate enough to pick up a
grain of rice. |
| • |
Elephants
have a keen sense of smell but very poor eyesight. |
| more
anatomy |
| Tusks
and Teeth |
| • |
Tusks
are elongated upper incisor teeth made of dentine. |
| • |
Tusks
are used for fighting, pushing, lifting, prying bark from
trees and digging for water and roots. |
| • |
Tusks
appear at age 2. They grow continuously, at a rate of up to
7 inches a year, and wear down with use. |
| • |
A
tusk can weigh up to 200 pounds with a length of up to 5 feet. |
| • |
The
longest tusks on record are more than 11.5 feet long. |
| • |
An
elephant may be right- or left-tusked as a human is right-
or left-handed. |
| • |
Elephants
have four molars (2 upper and 2 lower), which are replaced
five times, for a total of six sets in a lifetime. |
| • |
The
molars, each weighing approximately 9 pounds, are worn down
and replaced continuously throughout the elephant's life. |
| • |
Death
comes when the sixth and final set of molars wears out (about
mid-sixties) and the animal can no longer eat. |
| more
anatomy |
Ears
In the hot African climate, keeping cool is a constant challenge.
Believe it or not, an elephant's enormous ears (weighing up to 110
pounds each), while exceptionally good at picking up sound, are
also used as an air conditioner of sorts. When the temperature rises,
elephants flap their ears. This cools blood flowing through vessels
in the ears, which then flows back to the body, cooling it in turn.
more anatomy
| Tail,
Feet and Skin |
| • |
There
are only a few hairs at the end of an elephant's tail. |
| • |
With
a quick swish of its tail, an elephant can whisk away insects,
making the tail a perfect fly swatter. |
| • |
Elephants'
feet are adapted to support great weight. They actually stand
on their toes, which are arranged in a semi-circle around
a spongy pad. These pads cushion each step and allow elephants
to walk very quietly, leaving scarcely a footprint. |
| • |
Elephants
walk 4–5 miles a day, feeding and browsing, and can run
up to 25 mph for short distances. This is almost 2 times as
fast as a human can run. |
| • |
An
elephant's skin is sensitive, requiring frequent bathing,
massaging and dusting to remain free of parasites and disease. |
| • |
An
elephant's skin is sparsely covered with hair and bristles,
distributed unevenly over the body. |
| more
anatomy |
|
