Elephants

Do Elephants fear humans?

ELEPHANTS are not fazed by dynamite explosions, but change their behaviour significantly to avoid humans. That is the finding of a major study of how forest elephants deal with oil exploration in central Africa.

How do elephants show affection?

'They sniffed each other briefly and then entwined trunks. 'Our guide explained that this was a way for elephants, especially younger elephants, to greet each other - kind of like a handshake - and show their affection.

How many African elephants are left in the world?

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are now thought to be around 415,000 African elephants left in the wild.

Why are the elephants dying?

According to veterinarians and wildlife experts interviewed by National Geographic, as well as an examination of past elephant die-offs, possible causes include: ingestion of toxic bacteria in water, anthrax poisoning, poisoning by humans, viral infection from rodents, or a pathogenic microbe

Height

African bush elephant: 10 ft., Asian elephant: 9 ft.

Phylum

Chordata

Do elephants have human emotions?

Joy, anger, grief, compassion, love; the finest emotions reside within these hulking masses. Through years of research, scientists have found that elephants are capable of complex thought and deep feeling. In fact, the emotional attachment elephants form toward family members may rival our own.

Do elephants hibernate?

Migration. Both Asian and African elephants migrate and generally follow the same migratory routes annually. ... African elephants usually migrate at the beginning of the dry season, between June and November; heading toward more hospitable locations near rivers and water sources that are not prone to drying.

Do elephants hug?

They console each other in times of stress by "hugging". According to researchers, elephants hug by putting their trunks in each other's mouths, offering comfort through physical contact.

Gestation period:

African bush elephant: 22 months, Asian elephant: 18 - 22 months

Length

Asian elephant: 18 - 21 ft.

Habitat

African elephants live in diverse habitats including wetlands, forest, grassland, savanna and desert across 37 countries in southern, eastern, western and central Africa.

Mass

African bush elephant: 13,000 lbs, Asian elephant: 8,800 lbs, African forest elephant: 6,000 lbs

lifespan

African bush elephant: 60 - 70 years, Asian elephant: 48 years, African forest elephant: 60 - 70 years

Why do elephants throw poop on themselves?

After a river or swamp bath, they'll throw mud and sand up and over themselves to protect their skin from the hot, burning sun.

What time of day are elephants most active?

An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds of food in a single day. Elephants are crepuscular—they typically sleep during the day and are most active at dawn and dusk.

Are they Dangerous?

Are elephants dangerous? They are well-known for living in matriarchal (female-led) social groups, and although elephants are respected and revered by people throughout their ranges in Africa and South Asia, they are also feared because they can be aggressive and dangerous.

Which country has most elephants?

Botswana is currently home to more elephants than any other African country, and southern Africa remains a stronghold for 293,000, or 70%, of the estimated remaining African elephants.

An Elephant

Elephants are mammals of the family Elephantidae and the largest existing land animals. Three species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order Proboscidea; extinct members include the mastodons.

Can an elephant swim?

Elephants can swim - they use their trunk to breathe like a snorkel in deep water. Elephants have a slow pulse of 27 and for a canary it is 1000! The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump.

How do elephant drink water?

Elephants, unlike people, do use their trunks to help them drink, but they only suck the water part of the way up and then use their trunks to squirt the water into their mouths. The elephant's trunk is a combination of their nose and upper lip and is able to touch, grasp and smell.

What is so special about an elephant?

They are highly intelligent animals with complex emotions, feelings, compassion and self-awareness (elephants are one of very few species to recognize themselves in a mirror!). The gestation period of an elephant is 22 months. That's almost 2 years, the longest pregnancy of any mammal!

How many elephants are in captivity?

Today, elephants are captured and/or kept in captivity primarily for our entertainment. Around the world there exist between 15,000-20,000 captive elephants and the circumstances for most of them are abysmal.

An Elephant Tusk

Usually in mammals tusks are enlarged canine teeth, but in elephants they are actually elongated incisors and are essentially no different from other teeth. One third of the tusk is actually hidden from view, embedded deep in the elephant's head.

How much do elephants sleep?

Wild elephants get an average of two hours of sleep each night. Yes, believe it or not, wild elephants can get up two hours of sleep a night.

How do elephants learn?

Young elephants learn normal behavior in a social context, and learning from others, or social learning, plays a crucial role in their development. Calves follow their mothers' responses to learn who are their relatives and friends, and who represent potential threats.