5 Amazing Facts About Elephants

5 Amazing Facts About Elephants

5 Amazing Facts About Elephants


Elephants capture the imagination like few other animals, with their massive size and iconic status in popular culture. That's why we've put together this list of five amazing facts about elephants. We're about to amaze you!


  1. THEY ARE THE WORLD'S MAJOR LAND ANIMAL.

Male elephants can stand up to 3m tall and weigh up to 6,000kg on average, making them the largest land animal in the world. Male elephants reach full size at 35-40 years of age, which is less than half their lifetime, as wild elephants live for up to 70 years.


  1. THEIR EARS CAN TELL THE TWO SPECIES APART.

Two types of elephants exist: African and Asian. Elephant ears in Africa are much larger and are shaped like the African continent, whereas those in Asia are shaped like the Indian subcontinent.


  1. THEY HAVE MAD SKILLS IN THEIR TRUNKS.

As one source puts it, some Asian elephants have been observed picking up peanuts and shelling them before consuming the nut with their trunks, which are the most sensitive part of any mammal. These elephants are also capable of holding up to 8 liters of water in their trunks. Additionally, they use their trunks as snorkels when swimming.


  1. THEIR TUSKS ARE IN FACT TEETH.

In elephants, tusks are actually enlarged incisor teeth that appear around the age of two. Tusks develop throughout life. In addition to being used to aid in feeding, elephants' tusks have been known to be used to aid in defense. However, they endanger elephants from breaking their tusks. Elephant ivory is very valuable. Continue reading to learn why elephants are endangered.


  1. ELEPHANTS ARE ALWAYS EATING.

Depending on the season and habitat, elephants eat grasses, leaves, shrubs, fruits, and roots. Elephants will eat more woody parts of trees and shrubs, such as twigs, branches, and bark, when conditions are particularly dry. They require up to 150kg of food per day, which equates to approximately 375 tins of baked beans, though half of this may pass through the body undigested. Elephants consume so much food that they can spend up to three-quarters of their day eating alone




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