Elephant Facts
Elephant Facts
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Elephants are the largest land mammals on Earth. Indian, savannah and forest elephant are three remaining species of elephants. Indian elephant has small ears and it is much smaller compared to other two species. Savannah and forest elephant live in Africa. All elephants are highly endangered due to increased hunting and habitat loss.
| Interesting Elephant Facts: |
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| Elephants live in herds guided by oldest and wisest female member. Male elephants will leave the herd when they reach 12 years. They will form "bachelor" herds before they become old enough for a solitary life (life on their own). |
| Elephants sleep 2-3 hours per day. They spend the rest of the time in eating. Elephants are vegetarians (eat only plants). |
| Elephant's favorite food is acacia. If ants crawl on the tree, elephants will move away from the tree because ants can injure elephant's sensitive trunk. |
| Trunk is a large and muscular fusion of elephant's nose and upper lip. |
| Young elephants (babies) suck their trunks just like human babies suck their thumbs. This provides comfort. |
| Elephants that live in captivity can use their trunks for the artistic purposes. They can hold the brush and paint various pictures. |
| Elephant's skin is one inch thick, but it can burn on the sun if it is not protected. Elephants use mud to cover their skin and protect it from the sun. |
| Elephants communicate by producing the sounds that humans can't hear and by producing vibrations in the ground using their feet. |
| Elephants perform "burial ceremony" when they lose a member of the herd. They gather around the body and stay in silence for a while. They will use branches to cover the body before they leave. |
| Elephants can recognize themselves in the mirror. Just few animals beside human toddlers are able to do that. |
| Elephants don't like to eat peanuts. |
| Due to their large size, elephants need to eat 150kg of vegetation per day. |
| Worn out teeth will be replaced 6-7 times in a lifetime (humans replace their milk teeth once in a lifetime). |
| Elephants flap their ears to cool themselves. If they are cooling themselves in the water, elephants will use their trunk as a snorkel. |
| Elephants live 60-70 years in the wild. In captivity they can live more than 80 years. |