Elephant Facts
Elephant Facts Worth Knowing
Elephants are interesting animals, and consequently give rise to a number of interesting elephant facts. The largest of the land mammals, elephants are found in Africa and Asia. Two species of elephant live in Africa, the African Savannah, or Bush elephant, and the African Wood elephant, also known as the African Forest elephant. The Savannah elephant is the species most often encountered in our zoos.
A thirds species, the Asian elephant, is found as you might expect, in Asia. This elephant is also known as the Indian Elephant. It is noted for its gentler temperament than its African counterparts. The Asian elephant is used as a working animal, and sometimes in ceremonial events as well. There are a larger number of elephant species which have long since become extinct, the woolly mammoth being the best known of these.
While the domesticated elephants in Asia are fairly numerous, and apparently thriving, their wild counterparts are endangered, with an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 living in south and southeast Asian forests. The African elephant species are doing somewhat better, with a population of roughly half a million. The population was at one time significantly higher, reaching 10 million a little over 200 years ago.
Several important elephant facts concern three characteristics of the animal which are its trademarks. These are the tusks, the ears, and the trunk. The elephant's tusks are actually teeth, but unlike the other teeth, continuously grow at a rate of 6 to seven inches a year. Elephants use their tusks primarily as tools, to dig for food or water, to remove bark from trees for food, to mark their territory, and when necessary, as weapons.
Another use of the tusks, also called ivory, is important to people, not elephants, and has led to a significant decline in the elephant population over a number of years. One of the characteristics of ivory is while hard, is still soft enough for carving, and is therefore sought after for a variety of purposes. Hunting elephants for ivory is illegal in most countries, but the laws are difficult to enforce in some places, and not strictly enforced in others.
The second prominent feature, the ears, serve as the elephant's radiator. The elephant's ears are rich in blood vessels, and the size of the ears make them very efficient organs for cooling the blood before it is distributed throughout the body.
The third, and the most recognizable feature of all is the trunk. The trunk is composed of literally thousands of muscles. It is extremely powerful, capable of tearing branches from trees, uprooting small trees, and carrying heavy items. At the same time the tip of the trunk can perform very delicate and sensitive tasks, such as selecting among different kinds of vegetation when eating.
While appearing docile and perhaps a little slow of movement in the zoos, it can be a different story in the wild. Although elephants have no real natural enemies, infant elephants are at times the target of predators. When a predator approaches, the herd will encircle the young to protect them. The African elephants in particular can be quite aggressive, and a danger to be near in the wild. Even domesticated elephants have been known to turn on their handlers, or others, particularly if provoked.
Among a few less commonly known elephant facts is, that the word elephant comes from the Latin, and means a "huge arch". Another fact is that an elephant herd consists only of females and their young. Mature male elephants show up and hang around only while mating. Also, when traveling, elephants move along in single file with the young elephants keeping in place by holding on to their mothers' tails. (Any circus follower knows that of course). All in all, elephants must be regarded as one of the more interesting members of the animal kingdom, due not only to their size, but to their intelligence, and in the case of the Asian elephant, their general usefulness.