The elephant | Facts & Information

# The elephant | Facts & Information

The elephant | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About The elephant

The elephant (Elephantidae) is part of the Proboscidea family (animals with a proboscis). They belong to the category of the largest terrestrial quadrupeds, which at birth weigh 100 kg. The oldest animal in captivity was 86 years old and lived in Taipei, Taiwan.

Area: Asia and Africa

Habitat: forests, savannas, deserts

Food: Herbivore

Size: 2 - 4 m

Weight: 3 – 3.5 tons

Speed: 40 km / h

Colors: gray

Breeding: 1 Chick

Predators: hyenas and large felines

Live: in the herd

Average age: 55 – 70 years

The elephant

The Elephant is one of the most fascinating animals on Earth. With impressive dimensions and remarkable intelligence, these creatures are among the most beloved and well-known species of mammals. Elephants have a very ancient history, associated with myths, legends, and traditions from around the world. Able to live in diverse habitats, elephants represent a symbol of nature's power and grandeur.

Elephants are extremely large terrestrial animals, with varying lengths depending on the species. The African elephant, also known as the savannah elephant, is larger and can reach an average height of four meters and a weight of approximately 7 tons. With a thick mane of hair and long ears, African elephants are easily recognizable. Asian elephants are slightly smaller, with average heights of 3.5 meters and a weight of approximately 5 tons. This species of elephant has smaller ears and a more rounded back shape.

A distinctive feature of elephants is their flexible and powerful trunk, also known as a proboscis. This is a remarkable adaptation that allows them to reach, eat, drink, breathe, and communicate through sounds. The trunk is formed by the movement of the nose and upper lips. Elephants can use their trunks to grab small objects, such as rice or a fruit, or to lift heavy objects, such as a tree trunk. Additionally, the trunk is used to greet their mate, the caretaker, or other elephants in their herd.

In the animal kingdom, elephants are known for their exceptional intelligence. These gentle giants are capable of learning and solving complex problems, such as opening doors with keys or using simple tools to obtain food. Elephants can recognize their own reflection and have an incredibly strong memory. They can remember the places where they found food or water and can recognize other elephants they have interacted with in the past.

Elephants are social animals and form closely bonded herds. The herd is led by an older and more experienced elephant, known as the matriarch. Elephants can live up to 70 years, and male elephants only join the herd during the mating season. During travels, elephants engage in complex communication using ear movements, trumpeting, and ground vibrations to convey messages to each other.

Another fascinating aspect of elephants is their behavior during displays. These immense creatures express their emotions through movements of the ears, tail, and trunk. A straight ear and a retracted trunk indicate a calm and relaxed elephant, while rapidly moving ears and a shaking trunk indicate a state of vigilance or threat. Elephants can also be affectionate and protective towards their loved ones and exhibit a very devoted maternal behavior towards their offspring.

Unfortunately, elephants face numerous threats in the wild. Poaching is one of the biggest problems elephants face, as humans are attracted to the valuable ivory of their tusks. Deforestation and crimes against the natural habitat of elephants are also serious issues that have led to a decline in the number of elephants in the wild. However, there are many organizations and programs aimed at protecting elephants and their habitats.

In conclusion, elephants are extraordinary animals that fascinate with their enormous size and intelligent and affectionate behavior. As symbols of power, grandeur, and longevity, elephants capture the attention and admiration of people everywhere. Despite the threats they face, protecting these animals and their habitats is an essential priority for maintaining ecological balance and conserving our natural diversity.

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Features: has a trunk, is the largest land animal

Feeding The Elephant

Elephants are erbivori.In outside of the grass forests or savannahs consume other plants with soft stem, leaves of trees,various fruits and flowers,even branches, stems of trees or roots.They have to eat a lot to meet their body's huge energy needs and complement the materials that make up its tissues.

Most of the days I spend in search of food,to ensure the high needs of vitamins and mineral salts of the body.In a day – in about 16 hours – an elephant can consume up to 225 Kg of food.

The elephant also uses its trunk to quench its thirst.It needs a lot of water-for the African elephant 5 liters of water means a sip.Draw water into the tube,close the holes in the end,then bend the Tube so that the end enters its mouth,and then evacuate the contents.All this is not easy to learn,that's why baby elephants stick water with their mouths.

Elephant Appearance

Currently elephants are the largest and heaviest land animals, besides the fact that they have the big long incisor teeth, they have the longest nose and perhaps the most memory buna.Cu all their weight of several tons, their displacement can be called sprintena.In forest, if necessary sneaks without noise.These "gentle giants" are sensitive and affective beings,living in close bonds with family members and other members of the flock.

Males of the African elephant species can exceed 6 tons in weight.The weight of the head can have a quarter of the mass of the body.This part of the body, in addition to its considerable weight,is also loaded with means of obtaining food – the trunk,ivory,chewing masses,the huge muscles of the jaw.

Elephant ivory is elongated teeth-modified incisors-that are used to pull roots out of the ground and peel trees. Male elephants use ivory in their struggles to establish hierarchical order, pre-mating fights.Unlike teeth, ivory grows throughout the elephant's life.It has been recorded that an old male African elephant had ivory over 3 m long.

The elephant's head is supported by a short neck,puternic.De that's why the elephant can't bend its head to gather food.This deficiency was removed by the evolution process through the development of the trunk,resulting from the elongation of the muscular upper lip and nose.

This wonderful elephant organ consists of thousands of muscles and is used for a variety of operations,including picking fruit,sucking water,breaking branches and digging roots.The trunk is sensitive to both smells and touch,elephants use it both to identify a foreign elephant and to send greetings to family members or to caress the desired pair.

The movement of the elephant's huge body is not at all cumbersome. The short, sturdy legs evenly divide the weight on four legs. Like the horse, the elephant walks on its toes.The scattered bones of the fingers are supported by a round sole and on a heel formed by a spongy tissue.The thick skin that covers the sole is blunted and continuously restored.

Contrary to its misshapen appearance,the elephant is an agile animal and is not afraid of any form of land:it easily crosses both swamps and rocky terrain, leaving few traces on solid ground. This land giant is also good at swimming: using his raised tube as a breathing tube, he swims across rivers and lakes.

Elephant Behavior

Family members are bound by strong bonds, all of which help raise and defend the offspring.Sometimes, when the elephants meet, they run towards each other and in greeting make a bugle-like sound.If everything is in order,the members of the flock are quiet,they make a deep grunt,but if the flock is threatened by something, the grunt ceases and the adults form a circle around the offspring.

It acts very interesting if any member of the turmei.De I often stick around the leash,touch it,caress it and sometimes try inhumation.If a baby elephant dies, his mother almost mourns him.It was noticed several times that the mother elephant grabbed the dead cub,took it to a place and stayed by it for several days.

The only source of ivory is the incisors of elephants.This material has always been cherished by man. In the past,when there were no cars and rifles,elephants were difficult to hunt and only a few fell victim to humans. Today, with the help of off-road cars they can be easily caught up and with the help of modern weapons they can be shot from a great distance.

Huge numbers of elephants have been slaughtered for their ivory and these wonderful animals have reached the threshold disparitiei.In 1979 in Africa there were still 1.3 million elephants living in the wild but due to poaching this number dropped to 600,000 in 1989.Due to global concern over the fate of elephants in 1989, international restrictions on the ivory trade were introduced.This measure proved very beneficial.

Elephant Breeding

The gestation period of the african elephant is 22 months, the indian elephant is 21 months,and the female usually gives birth to a single cub.

The weight of the newborn cub is around 100kg, his height is close to 1 m. In the first two years he is breastfed,but in the meantime he learns to use his trunk and chew herbs and bushes.

Male pups reaching the threshold of maturity – around 14 years old – are banished from the herd,lest they mate with family members,the female pups remain with the herd all their lives, and until the first birth help to raise younger pups.

#Photo Gallery of The Elephant