It's easy to guess that African elephant lives in Africa, almost throughout the continent. It is the largest land animal, reaching a weight of more than 3 tons. The African elephant is quite tall - 4 meters. This type of elephant has quite large and pronounced tusks. In males, the tusks are large - up to three meters; in females they do not reach even a meter. The trunk of elephants is formed by the fusion of the upper lip and nose. Elephants are herbivorous mammals, preferring grasses, leaves, and branches as food. Elephants live in families of several individuals (the number of individuals is approximately 10-15 in each group). Elephants are very friendly to each other, and peace reigns in their family. Adult elephants carefully guard young elephants, and when a baby is born, the whole family seems to rejoice. The female carries the cub for quite a long time - almost two years. Usually one baby elephant is born. After birth, the cub feeds on mother’s milk for 2 years and only after five years lives independently. Life expectancy of elephants: 50-60 years.

Indian elephant

Habitat: India, Southeast Asia. It is slightly smaller than the African elephant. Compared to the African elephant, the Indian elephant has smaller ears and less pronounced tusks. Some females have no tusks at all. The elephant also feeds on grass and various fruits. By the way, all elephants feed with the help of their trunk: they take food with their trunk and put it in their mouth. They also drink using their trunk. The Indian elephant is more friendly towards people, so they are captured for circuses and zoos more often than African elephants. Now the population of Indian elephants has sharply declined.

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How many species of elephants are there in the world?

African forest elephant

To date, only two species have survived in the elephant family (Familia Elephantidae Sgau): Indian elephants, which are found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, as well as on the Indochina Peninsula, and African elephants, which zoologists divide into those living in savannas ( savannah elephants) and those living in tropical forests (forest elephants).

African and Indian elephants differ in body structure
and disposition.

These differences are quite large, and when crossing two elephants different types there are no offspring.

The African elephant is taller than the Indian elephant, its ears are larger, its skin is rougher, its trunk is thinner, the tusks, which both males and females have, are more developed; The weight of males reaches 5 - 7.5 tons, females - 3 - 4 tons.

Indian male elephants weigh 4.5 - 5 tons, females - 3 - 4 tons; Females, as a rule, do not have tusks.

Both African and Indian elephants live in herds.

The basis of the herd is a family group of two to five, sometimes more, elephants related by family relationships (most often this is an old female elephant and her offspring of different generations).

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Origin of modern elephants

As is known, both species of elephants are descendants of Proboscidea - an ancient animal with a trunk. Elephants living today are descended from two different branches of ancestors that developed in parallel. Both of them developed when dinosaurs dominated the earth. It was then that Moeritheres, tapir-like animals, appeared on the territory of modern Egypt.

This happened in the Paleocene era (65 million years ago).

How many species of elephants live on earth?

The structure of the skull and the arrangement of the teeth of these proboscideans were almost the same as those of the modern elephant, and the four teeth were the harbingers of modern tusks. Another branch was represented by Deinotheriidae, animals that lived in Africa and Eurasia.

Being in favorable conditions, all these animals over the next twenty-six million years spread throughout Africa and Eurasia, and over time, throughout Northern and South America. Different climatic conditions and habitats have led to the emergence various types proboscis

They lived everywhere - from the polar ice cap to the desert, including the tundra, taiga, and forests, as well as savannah and swamps. All species, and there were more than three hundred of them, can be divided into four main classes.

Deinotherium lived in the Eocene era (58 million years ago) and was very similar to modern elephants. They were much smaller, had a shorter trunk, and two large tusks curled down and back. This class became extinct 2.5 million years ago.

Gomphotherium lived during the Oligocene era (37 million years ago).

They had an elephant's body, but a vestigial trunk. The teeth were similar to those of modern elephants, but there were also four small tusks, two of which were twisted up and two down. Some had wide, flat jaws that allowed them to scoop up swamp vegetation. Others had significantly smaller jaws, but more developed tusks. This species became extinct approximately 10,000 years ago.

From Gomphotherium in the Miocene-Pleistocene era (10-12 million years ago) Mamutidae (Mammutidae), often called mastodons, evolved.

These animals were almost the same as elephants, but had more powerful body, long tusks and a long trunk. They also differed in the location of their teeth. The eyes of mastodons were much smaller, and there was dense hair on the body.

It is assumed that mastodons lived in forests until primitive people did not come to the continent (approximately 18,000 years ago).

Elephantids (Elephantidae) evolved from mastodons in the Pleistocene era (1.6 million years ago) and gave rise to the family Mammuthus, the closest family to prehistoric elephants, the huge woolly mammoths and two lineages of modern elephants: Elephas and Loxodonta. Mammuthus imperator, native to southern North America, was the largest mammoth: 4.5 meters (15 feet) at the shoulder.

The northern woolly mammoth, Mammus primigehius, lived in northern North America and Eurasia. Its numbers were enormous.

This species is the most studied, as several whole frozen individuals have been found, which are still stored in this form to this day.

Woolly mammoths were slightly larger than modern elephants and protected themselves from the cold with long, dense, reddish fur and a 76 millimeter (3 in) thick layer of fat under their skin.

Their long tusks were curled downwards, forwards and inwards and served to tear apart the snow covering the vegetation. The African and Indian elephant are all that remain today of their many ancestors.

Information sent by: Malyakina Z. E. MGAVMiB im. K.I. Scriabin.

Types of elephants

Of these two species, African elephants are further divided into two species (savannah and forest), while Asian elephants are divided into four species (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumartan and Borneo).

Elephants, like people, are capable of change, and change depending on their character, emotions and personal qualities ( individual characteristics). Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years - they have been domesticated and are now used for transportation in difficult terrain, for carrying heavy objects such as logs, and at festivals and in the circus.

Currently, the Indian elephant is the largest, it has longer front legs and more thin body than its Thai counterparts. We will dwell in more detail on Thai elephants, although of course these characteristics apply to all types of Asian Elephants. Let's pay attention to some small details. Using our own experience and taking into account information from numerous other sources, we will tell you our own interpretation.

Asian elephants

About half of them are domesticated, the rest live in wildlife in National parks and reserves. Around 300 are suffering in Bangkok's deplorable conditions. It is known that at the beginning of the 20th century (1900 AD) more than 100,000 elephants lived in Siam (Thai) rural areas. Asian elephants are smaller than African ones.

How many species of elephants are there in the world?

They have smaller ears, and only males have tusks.

The first species is the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). They live on the island of Sri Lanka. A large male can reach 5,400 kg (12,000 lb) and be over 3.4 m (11 ft) tall. Sri Lankan males have very convex skulls.

Their head, trunk and belly are usually bright pink.

Another species, the Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) makes up the majority of the Asian elephant population. There are about 36,000 of them, they are light gray, with depigmentation only on the ears and trunk. A large male averages only 5,000 kg (11,000 lb), but they are still as tall as the Sri Lankan.

Indian elephants are found in eleven Asian countries, from India to Indonesia. They prefer forests and areas between forests and fields where a greater variety of food is available to them.

The smallest group of elephants is the Sumartan elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus). There are only 2100 - 3000 individuals. They are very light gray with pink only on the ears. A mature Sumartan elephant reaches only 1.7-2.6 m (5.6-8.5 ft) in height and weighs less than 3,000 kg (6,600 lb).

Although it is, of course, a huge animal in any case, the Sumartan elephant is nevertheless much smaller than any other Asian (and African) and exists only on the island of Sumatra, usually in forests and groves.

In 2003, another species of elephant was discovered on the island of Borneo. They were called Borneo Dwarf Elephants, they are smaller and calmer, more docile than other Asian elephants.

They have relatively large ears, a longer tail, and straighter fangs.

African elephants

Elephants of the genus Loxodonta, known as African elephants, are currently found in 37 countries in Africa. The African elephant is the largest living land animal. It is characterized by a massive, heavy body, a large head on a short neck, thick limbs, huge ears and a long, muscular trunk.

The most striking difference from Asian ones is the ears. Africans have them much larger and are shaped like the continent of their origin.

Both male and female African elephants have tusks and are typically less hairy than their Asian counterparts. Tusks grow throughout an elephant's life and serve as an indicator of its age. Historically, African elephants have been observed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, the area where elephants live has been greatly reduced. The African elephant has become completely extinct in Burundi, Gambia and Mauritania; some species have survived further north, in Mali. Despite their wide distribution area, elephants are mainly concentrated in national parks and reserves.

Traditionally, there are two species of African elephants, namely the Savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) and the Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis).

The African savannah elephant is the largest of all elephants. In fact, it is the largest animal on Earth in the world, reaching 4 m (13 ft) in height and weighing approximately 7,000 kg (7.7 tons).

The average male is about 3 m (10 ft) tall and weighs 5500-6000 kg (6.1-6.6 tons), the female is much smaller. Most often, Savannah elephants are found in open fields, swamps, and on the shores of lakes.

They mainly live in the savannah and migrate south from the Sahara Desert.

Compared to the Savannah Elephant, the African Forest Elephant's ears are typically smaller and more prominent. round shape, the tusks are thinner and straighter. The forest elephant weighs up to 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) and reaches a height of 3 m (10 ft). Much less is known about these animals than about their savannah counterparts; emerging political differences and the habitat conditions of African forest elephants prevent their study.

Typically, they inhabit the impenetrable tropical forests of central and western Africa. The largest populations of Forest Elephants are currently found in Southern and Eastern Africa.

There are two species of elephant - the African elephant (genus: Loxodonta) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). They are different, but there are still some striking differences. African elephants number approximately 500,000, while the number of Asian elephants is declining dramatically, with less than 30,000 remaining.

Of these two species, African elephants are further divided into two species (savannah and forest), while Asian elephants are divided into four species (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumartan and Borneo). Elephants, like people, are capable of change, and change depending on their character, emotions and personal qualities (individual characteristics).

Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years - they have been domesticated and are now used for transportation in difficult terrain, for carrying heavy objects such as logs, and at festivals and in the circus. Currently, the Indian elephant is the largest, with longer front legs and a slimmer body than its Thai counterparts. We will dwell in more detail on Thai elephants, although of course these characteristics apply to all types of Asian Elephants.

Let's pay attention to some small details. Using our own experience and taking into account information from numerous other sources, we will tell you our own interpretation.

Asian elephants

They are officially considered an endangered species; in Thailand their numbers reach only 3,000-4,000.

About half of them are domesticated, the rest live in the wild in National Parks and Reserves. Around 300 are suffering in Bangkok's deplorable conditions. It is known that in the early 20th century (1900 AD) more than 100,000 elephants lived in the Siamese (Thai) countryside.

Asian elephants are smaller than African ones. They have smaller ears, and only males have tusks.

The first species is the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). They live on the island of Sri Lanka. A large male can reach 5,400 kg (12,000 lb) and be over 3.4 m (11 ft) tall.

Sri Lankan males have very convex skulls. Their head, trunk and belly are usually bright pink.

Another species, the Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) makes up the majority of the Asian elephant population.

There are about 36,000 of them, they are light gray, with depigmentation only on the ears and trunk. A large male averages only 5,000 kg (11,000 lb), but they are still as tall as the Sri Lankan. Indian elephants are found in eleven Asian countries, from India to Indonesia.

They prefer forests and areas between forests and fields where a greater variety of food is available to them.

The smallest group of elephants is the Sumartan elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus).

There are only 2100 - 3000 individuals.

Elephant - description, species, where it lives

They are a very light gray color with pink only on the ears. A mature Sumartan elephant reaches only 1.7-2.6 m (5.6-8.5 ft) in height and weighs less than 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Although it is, of course, a huge animal in any case, the Sumartan elephant is nevertheless much smaller than any other Asian (and African) and exists only on the island of Sumatra, usually in forests and groves.

In 2003, another species of elephant was discovered on the island of Borneo.

They were called Borneo Dwarf Elephants, they are smaller and calmer, more docile than other Asian elephants. They have relatively large ears, a longer tail, and straighter fangs.

African elephants

Elephants of the genus Loxodonta, known as African elephants, are currently found in 37 countries in Africa.

The African elephant is the largest living land animal. It is characterized by a massive, heavy body, a large head on a short neck, thick limbs, huge ears and a long, muscular trunk.

The most striking difference from Asian ones is the ears. Africans have them much larger and are shaped like the continent of their origin. Both male and female African elephants have tusks and are typically less hairy than their Asian counterparts. Tusks grow throughout an elephant's life and serve as an indicator of its age.

Historically, African elephants have been observed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, the area where elephants live has been greatly reduced. The African elephant has become completely extinct in Burundi, Gambia and Mauritania; some species have survived further north, in Mali. Despite their wide distribution area, elephants are mainly concentrated in national parks and reserves. Traditionally, there are two species of African elephants, namely the Savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) and the Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis).

The African savannah elephant is the largest of all elephants. In fact, it is the largest animal on Earth in the world, reaching 4 m (13 ft) in height and weighing approximately 7,000 kg (7.7 tons). The average male is about 3 m (10 ft) tall and weighs 5500-6000 kg (6.1-6.6 tons), the female is much smaller. Most often, Savannah elephants are found in open fields, swamps, and on the shores of lakes. They mainly live in the savannah and migrate south from the Sahara Desert.

Compared to the Savannah Elephant, the ears of the African Forest Elephant are usually smaller and more rounded, and the tusks are thinner and straighter.

The forest elephant weighs up to 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) and reaches a height of 3 m (10 ft). Much less is known about these animals than about their savannah counterparts; emerging political differences and the habitat conditions of African forest elephants prevent their study. Typically, they inhabit the impenetrable tropical forests of central and western Africa.

The largest populations of Forest Elephants are currently found in Southern and Eastern Africa.

. African elephant
. Indian elephant
. The fate of elephants in Africa
. About Indian elephants
. Indian working elephants
. African savannah elephant
. What is an Indian elephant?
. What is an African elephant?
. Origin of modern elephants
. Andrey Kornilov and circus elephants
. Did the mammoth hunt or warming influence the disappearance of the animal?
. forest elephant
. The smallest elephant

Body: The color varies from brown to dark gray, the hair of elephants is long, coarse, and sparsely covers the body. Elephants have thick skin that protects them from the cold.

Elephant - brief description, breeding process, interesting facts (89 photos + video)

The elephant also has four thick legs to support their enormous weight.

Vision: Elephants are quite nearsighted, able to see clearly only at very close distances, up to approximately 10 meters.

Hearing: Excellent hearing by human standards. Large ears act as amplifiers and warn of possible dangers.

Smell: A well-developed sense of smell surpasses that of any other mammal on Earth.

Touch: An amazing sense of balance is a consequence of an excellent sense of touch.

The elephant's trunk, an incredibly versatile organ, plays a large role in this ability. More detailed description elephant trunk you will find on this page.

Taste: Like all highly developed animals, food is sufficient and the elephant can easily distinguish between good, bad and favorite food.

Teeth and tusks: Male Asian African elephants have large tusks - up to 1.5 - 1.8 m in length, while females have no tusks at all.

African elephants have long tusks in both sexes. Newborn elephants have tusks that are only 2 inches long. And only when they reach two years of age do the tusks begin to grow. In fact, tusks are the teeth of elephants. The only creature that also has tusks is the walrus. Elephants need tusks to dig the ground for food, remove garbage, fight, and carry loads weighing up to 1 ton, such as timber.

The molars (chewing teeth) are at least 30 cm (1 ft) long and weigh approximately 4 kg (8.8 lbs). Elephants have only four of these teeth. When new molars form, they completely displace the old ones. During its life, an elephant usually replaces its molars six times; the last ones grow in at about 40 years of age. When, around the age of 70, they break down, it becomes difficult for the elephant to eat, and subsequently, many of the elephants die of starvation.

Tusks never stop growing.

Legs: An elephant's legs are large, straight pillar-like supports because they must support all of its enormous weight.

Therefore, the elephant does not need developed muscles to stand, since it has straight legs and soft pads on its feet. Thus, an elephant can stand on its feet for a very long time without getting tired. In fact, African elephants rarely lie down unless they are tired or sick.

Indian elephants, on the contrary, lie down often.

An elephant's feet are almost circular in shape. U African elephant there are three claws on the hind limbs and four on the forelimbs. The Indians have four on the back and five on the front.

The peculiar structure of the soles (a special springy mass located under the skin) makes the gait of elephants almost silent.

Under the weight of the elephant, the bulges of the sole increase, and when the weight decreases, they also deflate. Thanks to this, the elephant can plunge deep into the mud and move through swampy terrain: when the animal stretches its leg out of the quagmire, the sole takes the shape of a cone narrowing downwards; when stepping, the sole flattens under the weight of the body, increasing the area of ​​support.

Elephants are good swimmers, but they cannot walk fast, jump, or gallop.

They can walk only in two ways: normal walking, and a faster one, similar to running. When walking, the legs act like pendulums, the hips and shoulders rise and fall while the feet remain on the ground. Thus, elephants always have at least one foot on the ground.

When walking quickly, an elephant has three feet on the ground at the same time. When walking at a normal pace, an elephant's speed is approximately 3 to 6 km/h (2 to 4 mph), but can reach a maximum of 40 km/h (24 mph).

. Features of elephants
. general characteristics elephants
. Anatomy of an elephant
. Why does an elephant need a trunk and tusks?
. Sensitive Organs
. elephant body
. Reproductive system of a female elephant
. Male reproductive system
. Elephant digestive system
. How many fingers does an elephant have?
. Elephants mating
. Elephant feet

As you know, elephants are the largest land animals on planet Earth. Elephants living in India are considered larger in size than African elephants.

To get a better look at what place the elephant occupies in the animal world, look at our amazing photos and learn some fascinating facts about these eared giants.

There is no creature in the world that looks like an elephant: does any animal have such huge ears and such a trunk? Why does this animal need a trunk? For water procedures, for smelling, nutrition and even for communication. Did you know that elephants are capable of picking up certain sound frequencies with their ears that are only accessible to them?

Listen to the elephant's voice

Even being at a distance from each other, elephants can use their “locators” - ears.

What else is remarkable about elephants?

Elephants are very smart animals.

It turns out that the average elephant spends at least 16 hours a day eating. How much food can you eat in that amount of time? From 45 to 450 kilograms. As for liquid, an elephant drinks from 100 to 300 liters per day. This is such a “water drinker”!

Elephants, both and are very caring and attentive animals towards each other. They are very worried and mourn if something bad happens to one of the members of the herd. When a little elephant calf is born into an “elephant family,” everyone is ready to help in caring for and raising the baby.

How long do elephants live?

These giants can live up to the age of 70 years. The elephant sleeps very little - only four hours a day. But even this time spent in sleep gives the elephant a charge of vigor and strength for the new day.

About the intelligence of elephants

Elephants are considered one of the most intelligent animals on planet Earth. They have a phenomenal memory: this applies both to events in their lives and to the people who interact with them (for example, in a circus or a zoo).

And now some photos of amazing animals - elephants.

The elephant is the largest land animal.
The elephant's intelligence is obvious.
An elephant is an animal that cannot jump.




A newborn elephant weighs about 90 kilograms and is 100 cm long.


Elephant tusk is a valuable prey for humans; elephants often become victims of poachers because of these body parts.
Elephant riding is one of the main entertainments for tourists in hot countries.

Photos taken from the Internet.

There are up to half a million African elephants in the world; Asian elephants are about 10 times smaller. As you know, elephants are large and very intelligent animals, which have served humans for peaceful and military purposes since ancient times.

Giants

Elephants are the most gigantic land animals on Earth. Their average weight reaches five tons, and their body length is 6-7 meters. In 1956, an elephant weighing 11 tons was killed in Angola.

A female elephant carries a baby for 22 months, the newborn weighs 120 kilograms.

The brain of an elephant weighs 5 kilograms, the heart - 20-30 kilograms. It beats at a frequency of 30 beats per minute.

To feed such a “colossus”, an elephant has to look for food and eat most of the day, at least 20 hours. An elephant eats from 45 to 450 kilograms of plant food per day and drinks from 100 to 300 liters of water.

Elephants live 50-70 years. But there are also reporters. War elephant (served in the Chinese army) Lin Wang from Taiwan died in 2003 at the age of 86.

Smarties

Aristotle wrote: “The elephant is an animal that surpasses all others in wit and intelligence.” Elephants really have a lot good memory and developed intelligence. Elephants also turned out to be capable of learning human language.

An elephant named Kaushik, living in Asia, has learned to imitate human speech, or rather, five words: annyong (hello), anja (sit), aniya (no), nuo (lie down) and choah (good).

Kaushik not only mindlessly repeats them, but, according to observers, understands their meaning, since these are either commands that he carries out, or words of encouragement and disapproval.

Communication

Elephants usually communicate using infrasound, so for a long time the elephant's tongue remained unsolved. Research by Christian Herbst of the University of Vienna on the larynx of a dead elephant showed that elephants use their vocal cords to communicate.

The “vocabulary” of the elephant language turned out to be quite rich - Herbst recorded about 470 different stable signals that elephants use.

They can use them to communicate with each other over long distances, warn of danger, report births, and use various addresses to members of the herd, depending on their position in the hierarchy.

Trunk

An elephant's trunk is actually an extension of its upper lip. With the help of their trunk, elephants make tactile contact, say hello, can take objects, draw, drink and wash themselves. The trunk of the trunk can simultaneously hold up to eight liters of water. The trunk also has more than 40,000 receptors. Elephants have a very good sense of smell.

Tusks

Elephants, like people, can be left-handed or right-handed. Depending on which tusk the elephant works more, one of them becomes smaller.

Over the past century and a half, the average length of elephant tusks in both Africa and India has been halved.

This is due to the fact that the largest representatives of the population become victims of poachers, and the length of the tusks is a genetically inherited trait.

The tusks of deceased elephants are extremely rare to find. Because of this, for a long time there was an opinion that elephants go to die in mysterious elephant cemeteries. Only in the last century it was discovered that porcupines eat tusks, thus compensating for mineral hunger.

Taming the Elephants

Elephants, although intelligent animals, can also be dangerous. Male elephants periodically go through a state of so-called “must”. At this time, the level of testosterone in the blood of animals is 60 times higher than normal.

In order to achieve balance and obedience in elephants, they begin to be trained from early childhood.

One of the most effective methods is this: the baby elephant’s leg is tied to a tree trunk. Gradually he gets used to the fact that it is impossible to free himself from this state. When the animal grows up, it is enough to tie it to a young tree, and the elephant will not try to free itself.

Funeral rite

Elephants not only high level intelligence, but also sensitive hearts. When someone from an elephant family dies, his relatives lift him up with their trunks, loudly turbulate him, and then roll him to a depression and cover him with branches and throw earth at him. Then the elephants sit silently next to the body for several more days.

There are also cases where elephants also try to bury people, sometimes mistaking sleeping people for dead.

The elephant is the largest land animal of the class mammals, such as chordates, of the order Proboscis, of the elephant family (Elephantidae).

Elephant - description, characteristics and photos

Elephants are giants among animals. The height of the elephant is 2 - 4 m. The weight of the elephant is from 3 to 7 tons. Elephants in Africa, especially savannah ones, often weigh up to 10 - 12 tons. The elephant's powerful body is covered with thick (up to 2.5 cm) brown or gray skin with deep wrinkles. Elephant calves are born with sparse bristles, while adults are practically devoid of vegetation.

The head of the animal is quite large with ears of remarkable size. Elephant ears have a fairly large surface area; they are thick at the base with thin edges; as a rule, they are a good regulator of heat exchange. Fanning the ears allows the animal to increase the cooling effect. An elephant's leg has 2 kneecaps.

This structure makes the elephant the only mammal that cannot jump. In the center of the foot there is a pad of fat that springs with every step, which allows these powerful animals to move almost silently.

The elephant's trunk is an amazing and unique organ formed by a fused nose and upper lip. Tendons and more than 100 thousand muscles make it strong and flexible. The trunk performs a number of important functions, simultaneously providing the animal with breathing, smell, touch and grasping food. Through their trunks, elephants protect themselves, water themselves, eat, communicate, and even raise their offspring. Another “attribute” of appearance is the elephant’s tusks. They grow throughout life: the more powerful the tusks, the older their owner.

An elephant's tail is about the same length as its hind legs. The tip of the tail is framed by coarse hair, which helps repel insects. The elephant's voice is specific. The sounds that an adult animal makes are called grunts, moos, whispers and elephant roars. The lifespan of an elephant is approximately 70 years.

Elephants can swim very well and love water procedures, and their average speed movement on land reaches 3-6 km/h.

When running on short distances The elephant's speed sometimes increases to 50 km/h.

Types of elephants

In the family of living elephants, there are three main species, belonging to two genera:

• genus African elephants(Loxodonta) are divided into 2 types:
  • savannah elephant(Loxodonta africana)

is different gigantic size, dark color, developed tusks and two processes at the end of the trunk. Inhabits along the equator throughout Africa;

African elephant (savannah elephant)

• • forest elephant(Loxodonta cyclotis)

has a small height (up to 2.5 m at the withers) and rounded ears. This species of elephant is common in tropical African forests.

Species often interbreed and produce quite viable offspring.

• Genus Indian(Asian) elephants ( Elephas) includes one type - Indian elephant ( Elephas maximus)

It is smaller than the Savannah, but has a more powerful build and short legs. Color - from brown to dark gray. Distinctive feature This type of elephant has small quadrangular-shaped ears and one appendage at the end of the trunk. The Indian or Asian elephant is common in tropical and subtropical forests India, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Indian elephant

Where and how do elephants live?

African elephants live almost throughout the entire territory of hot Africa: in Namibia and Senegal, in Kenya and Zimbabwe, in Guinea and the Republic of Congo, in Sudan and South Africa, elephants feel great in Zambia and Somalia. The bulk of the livestock, unfortunately, is forced to live in national reserves so as not to become the prey of barbarian poachers. The elephant lives on any landscape, but tries to avoid desert areas and too dense tropical forests, preferring the savannah zone.

Indian elephants live in the northeast and south of India, Thailand, China and the island of Sri Lanka, and live in Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia. Unlike their counterparts from the African continent, Indian elephants like to settle in wooded areas, preferring tropical bamboo thickets and dense bushes.

For approximately 16 hours a day, elephants are busy absorbing food, and they eat about 300 kg of vegetation with appetite. The elephant eats grass (including cattail, papyrus in Africa), rhizomes, bark and leaves of trees (for example, ficus in India), fruits of wild bananas, apples, marula and even coffee. The elephant's diet depends on its habitat, as different trees and grasses grow in Africa and India. These animals do not bypass agricultural plantations, causing significant damage to crops of corn, sweet potatoes and other crops with their visits. Their tusks and trunk help them get food, and their molars help them chew. An elephant's teeth change as they are worn down.

At the zoo, elephants are fed hay and greens (in large quantities), and the animals are also given vegetables, fruits, root vegetables: cabbage, apples, pears, carrots, beets, watermelons, boiled potatoes, oats, bran, willow branches, bread, as well as their favorite Elephants treat bananas and other crops. In a day in the wild, an elephant eats about 250-300 kg of food. In captivity, elephant food intake is as follows: about 10 kg of vegetables, 30 kg of hay and 10 kg of bread.

Adults are known “water-suckers.” An elephant drinks about 100-300 liters of water per day, so these animals are almost always located near bodies of water.

Elephant breeding

Elephants form family herds (9-12 individuals), including a mature leader, her sisters, daughters and immature males. The female elephant is a hierarchical link in the family; she matures by the age of 12, and at the age of 16 she is ready to bear offspring. Sexually mature males leave the herd at the age of 15-20 years (African males at 25 years old) and become loners. Every year, males fall into an aggressive state caused by an increase in testosterone, which lasts about 2 months, so quite serious clashes between clans, ending in injuries and mutilations, are not uncommon. True, this fact has its own plus: competition with experienced brothers stops young male elephants from early mating.

Elephants reproduce regardless of the season. A male elephant approaches the herd when he feels the female is ready to mate. Loyal to each other in normal times, the males organize mating fights, as a result of which the winner is allowed to the female. An elephant's pregnancy lasts 20-22 months. The birth of an elephant takes place in a society created by the females of the herd, surrounding and protecting the woman in labor from random danger.

Usually one baby elephant weighing about a hundredweight is born, sometimes there are twins. After just 2 hours, the newborn elephant stands on its feet and happily sucks its mother’s milk. After a few days, the cub easily travels with its relatives, grabbing its mother’s tail with its trunk. Feeding with milk lasts up to 1.5-2 years, and all lactating females participate in the process. By 6-7 months, plant foods are added to the milk.

Why are elephants afraid of mice?

Many people know about the subconscious fear that giant elephants allegedly have for small representatives of the rodent family - mice. But not everyone knows that this fact is most likely a myth. There is a legend according to which in ancient times there were so many mice that they dared to attack elephants’ legs, gnawed the animals’ limbs almost to the bone and built their own minks there. That is why, since then, elephants began to sleep not lying down, but standing up. There is little logic in this, because many animals sleep standing up, for example, horses, which are not at all afraid of mice. But to assume that a rodent can climb into a lying elephant’s trunk and block its access to air, which would lead to the death of the elephant, is much more likely, especially since several such cases have been recorded.

There is another theory, a little funny, but still: mice, climbing on an elephant, strongly tickle the giant with their tenacious paws, which makes the elephant feel a constant need to itch, and it is quite difficult for him to do this. However, all such assumptions were debunked by scientists: they were convinced that elephants are absolutely indifferent to mice, peacefully coexist with them in zoo enclosures, allowing the tiny rodents to feast on the remains of their meals, and are not at all afraid of them.

Why does an elephant have a long nose?

The trunk is the most spectacular distinctive feature elephant. Reaching a length of about 1.5 meters and weighing 130-150 kg, this part of the body is simply necessary for the animal, just like the hands, nose or tongue for a person.

The ancestors of elephants, who lived in the swamps in the distant past, had a very small trunk-appendage: it allowed them to breathe under the water column.

Millions of years of evolution forced the ancient predecessor of the elephant to emerge from the swampy area and enormously increased the animal’s size, as a result of which the elephant’s trunk also had to adapt to new conditions of existence.

With its trunk, the elephant lifts and carries weights, picks juicy bananas from palm trees and puts them in his mouth, as if he were collecting water from a lake or river with sediment and arranges a shower for himself during the scorching heat, makes loud trumpeting sounds, catches odors, helps himself drink by pouring water into mouth.

Surprisingly, being able to use a trunk as a multifunctional tool is a rather complex science, which little elephants do not master right away: often babies even step on their trunk, so caring mother elephants patiently, over several months, teach their children the art of using this necessary “appendage” .

• Among the elephants there are right-handers and left-handers, which affects the greater use of one of the tusks.
• The special structure of the hearing aid allows elephants to communicate with each other at low frequencies covering vast distances.
• The elephant is an animal that does not sweat because it does not have sebaceous glands. Water procedures, mud baths and ear fanning help lower body temperature.
• Elephants are easily tamed and trainable. In ancient times, they were excellent labor and fighting animals. Nowadays, elephants are used as means of transportation in impassable places.
• Adult elephants are practically invulnerable; lions and crocodiles pose a danger to baby elephants. The only enemy of elephants is man, who mercilessly exterminates animals for meat, skin and bones. Barbarian hunting led to a sharp decline in the elephant population, the impossibility of seasonal migrations and limited the habitat to nature reserves and national parks.
• Domesticated elephants are quite good-natured and patient with the mistreatment of careless owners. Tendency to experience emotions and long-term stress can lead to a nervous breakdown when the elephant goes berserk and destroys everything in its reach.
• Elephants are among the most intelligent mammals on the planet. Excellent memory allows them to remember grievances caused by people and places important events. Emotional animals are capable of joy, sadness, suffering and empathy for their loved ones.

Elephants are recognized as the largest land mammals that live on Earth. Since ancient times, people have noted their intelligence, endurance and strength. These animals are trainable, have excellent memory, and there are even those that, after long training, can take a brush with their trunk and draw a picture. Elephants are incredible creatures.

Having chosen the vast expanses of Africa and India as their homeland, these animals have not only enormous dimensions, but also a trunk, large ears and tusks that are unique to them. They often take mud baths, with the help of which they actually escape from the bites of annoying insects. The dirt dries on their skin, creating a kind of protective crust that mosquitoes and flies cannot penetrate with their stings, which only emphasizes the intelligence of the animals.

On average, elephants can reach a weight of 8 tons. However, there is a recorded case in history where the animal weighed more than 12.6 tons. Such an elephant was caught by people in Angola back in the 19th century. There are only written references to it, which indicate that the animal's tusks weighed at least 50 kilograms each. What are the dimensions of the current one? the biggest elephant in the world?

According to all data, the largest elephant is now in Israel in one of the country’s zoos called “Safari”. He is a true long-liver, because he is already in his thirties, and he is still in good health. physical fitness and continues to gain weight, increasing in volume. The problem turned out to be the gate that serves as a passage to the yard, because over time it became too small for the African giant. He has to crouch down to get through them. Overseers and qualified people who understand these animals claim that this is even beneficial for the animal.

The honored resident of Safari is named Yossi. His height is 3.8 meters. The animal weighs more than 6 tons. It has a meter-long tail and a trunk 2.6 meters long. What can we talk about if his ears alone are more than a meter long? Experts explain its size by powerful genes that are embedded in the creature, and also note the importance of correct and balanced nutrition.

It is worth noting that even the largest elephant on the planet will not be able to withstand and carry a load that is more than a quarter of its body weight. Among interesting facts Another thing about these creatures is that although they have incredibly powerful legs, they are the only animals on the planet that cannot jump. Their size and stomach volume allow them to absorb about two hundred kilograms of food and a little more water in just one day.

They always sleep standing up. Only when they are small can they fall over on one side, but as they grow up, they don’t even like to squat, much less kneel down. At the same time, weight and such a lifestyle do not at all prevent them from accelerating at more than 40 kilometers per hour when they need to. In a panic, an elephant can completely destroy a brick wall standing in its way and not pay attention to it.