Elephant is the largest terrestrial animal on Earth, although the Indian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin. In this collection you will admire interesting photos of elephants, as well as learn about a number of interesting facts related to this animal.
Elephants are amazing animals. They are very fond of water, they like to “take a shower” by watering themselves with the help of their multifunctional trunk. The trunk for the elephant is necessary, he thanks to him not only takes a shower. The elephant’s trunk is a long nose with various functions. He thanks to him breathes, sniffs, drinks, grabs food, and even makes sounds 🙂 Only the trunk contains about 100,000 muscles. Indian elephants have on the end of the trunk a small finger-like process that they can use to take some small objects (in the African elephant such “fingers” two) Also elephants have very powerful tusks. Ivory is highly valued by humans, so many elephants are killed for their tusks. Now the trade of ivory is illegal, but still it is not completely eliminated.
The third part of the elephant tusks is hidden in the body of the animal, and elephants with large tusks now practically do not remain, as they were all destroyed by the hunters behind the ivory. Tusks grow throughout the life of the animal, the older the elephant – the more tusks.
According to approximate calculations of scientists, the elephant feeds not less than 16 hours a day, absorbing during this time about 45 – 450 kilograms of various vegetation. Depending on the weather conditions, the elephant drinks 100-300 liters of water a day.
Elephants usually stay in herds, where all individuals are related by kinship. They are able to greet each other, diligently take care of the offspring, and always remain faithful to the herd. If any member of the herd dies, other elephants are very sad. Elephants are also one of those animals that can laugh.
The lifespan of elephants is on average equal to human, usually 70 years. Elephants are called thick-skinned animals, since the thickness of the skin of an elephant can reach 2.5 centimeters.
Elephants have a very good memory. They remember people who treated them well or badly, as well as places in which these or those events happened to them.
Elephants eat roots of trees, grass, fruits, as well as bark. They eat very much. An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of food per day. These giants almost do not sleep, they walk for long distances by procuring food for themselves. The presence of an elephant is considered a serious obligation. Elephants have the longest pregnancy than any other mammal – almost 22 months. Elephants usually give birth to one elephant every four years. At birth, a baby elephant already weighs about 200 pounds (91 kilograms), and its growth is about a meter
