Elephants are the largest mammals on the planet that live on the earth's crust. They are only surpassed in size and weight by some of the gigantic marine mammals that inhabit the oceans. There are two species of elephant: the African and the Asian, with some subspecies that inhabit different habitats. Furthermore, it is commonly known that the elephant is considered an animal that brings good luck. If you continue reading our site you will know 18 curiosities of elephants that will interest you and cause amazement, whether related to their diet, their daily activities or their sleep schedule.
There are different types of elephants
Currently there are two different types of elephants: the African elephant and the Asian elephant, with respective curiosities. Next, we are going to detail each of them a little more.
African elephant
In Africa there are two species of elephant: the savannah elephant, Loxodonta africana, and the forest elephant, Loxodonta cyclotis.
- The savanna elephant: is larger than the forest elephant. There are specimens that measure up to 7 meters in length. The elephant in the wild lives for about 50 years and dies when its last teeth wear down and it cannot chew any more food. For this reason, captive elephants can live much longer, as they receive more attention and care from their keepers. It is an endangered species, since one of its greatest threats is the poachers who seek the ivory of its tusks and the urbanization of its territories.
- The African forest elephant: it is smaller than the savanna elephant. Normally it does not exceed 2.5 meters in height at the withers. It lives in the jungles and equatorial forests in whose thick foliage they hide. These elephants have a beautiful pinkish ivory that makes them vulnerable to the hunting appetite of the ruthless poachers who harass them. The trade in ivory has been banned internationally for years, but the illegal trade continues. It is an endangered species.
Asian elephant
There are three subspecies of Asian elephant: the Sri Lankan elephant, Elephas maximus maximus; the Indian elephant, Elephas maximus indicus; the Sumatran elephant, Elephas maximus sumatrensis.
The morphological differences between Asian and African elephants are remarkable. Asian elephants are smaller: 4 to 5 meters and 3.5 meters at the withers. Their ears are noticeably smaller, and their backs have a slight hump The fangs are smaller and we can even point out that females they have no fangs
Asian elephants are critically endangered. Despite the fact that many of them are domesticated, the fact that in captivity they almost never reproduce and that the advance of agriculture is reducing their natural habitat, their existence is seriously threatened.
If you want to know more details about the Types of elephants and their characteristics, don't hesitate to read this other post that we recommend.
They have the biggest brain in the animal world
Although there are animals that are larger than the elephant, this mammal has the largest brain in the entire animal world, with a mass of just over 5 kgThis organ closely resembles the human brain in terms of complexity and structure, as even elephants are believed to be capable of understanding non-verbal communication such as pointing. In addition, they have up to 257 million neurons.
They use their ears to thermoregulate
Something we see very frequently in elephants is their constant movement of their ears, with which they fan their face and body. These ears of the elephants are large organs with a high vascular supply that serve to thermoregulate effectively. Thus, their ears help them to dissipate body heat Unlike humans, elephants do not sweat, so they have to release all the heat generated by their body in some way or another.
They use their trunk to shower and feed
The trunk is another distinctive organ of elephants that serves them for multiple functions: showering, picking up food and putting it in their mouths; uproot small trees and bushes, wipe your eyes or throw earth on your back to deworm yourself This trunk has about 40,000 different muscles, unlike the human being, which in their whole body has 600. In addition, it allows them to communicate with each other.
What do elephants eat? To know the answer to this question, do not hesitate to consult this post on our site that we recommend.
They can't jump
The legs of the elephants are very particular, since they resemble strong columns that support the gigantic bulk of their body. Elephants walk at a speed of 4-6 km/h, but if they are angry or run away, they can travel at more than 40 km/hIn addition, it is curious to mention that, despite having four legs, its gigantic weight does not allow it to jump.
Using the soles of their feet they feel infrasound vibrations before hearing them with their ears (sound travels faster through the ground than through the air). The time difference between sensing the vibrations and hearing the sound allows them to calculate very accurately the direction and distance of the call.
They live in matriarchies
Elephants live in herds of females who are related to each other and their young. Male elephants leave the herd upon reaching adolescence and live in isolated groups or lead solitary existences. Adults approach herds when they detect females in heat.
An old female is the matriarch who leads the herd to new water sources and pastures. Adult elephants consume about 200 kg of leaves daily, devoting between 15 and 16 hours to meals, therefore, they must constantly move in search of areas with new food available. On the other hand, they can drink up to 15 liters of water in one sitting.
Where do elephants live? Feel free to refer to this article for more information on the subject.
They communicate through sounds
Elephants use different sounds to communicate or express their mood. To call each other from a distance they use infrasound not audible to humans However, elephants are capable of emitting sounds of up to 110 decibels, which also allows them to communicate over long distances. Another curiosity of the elephants, in this case females, is that if they feel threatened they stamp very hard on the ground to warn the other members of the herd.
How do elephants communicate? If you want to discover the answer, don't hesitate to read this article that we suggest.
They have memory
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, elephants have a brain that is reminiscent of humans. Among all the behaviors of this mammal, the memory capacity and spiteful attitude it has.
One piece of evidence that demonstrates this curiosity of elephants is the experience a reporter had with a female elephant. At a certain moment, the microphone used by the announcer was connected, emitting an annoying beep very close to the proboscis that was in the zoo where the news was recorded. The elephant got scared and, enraged, began to chase the announcer, who had to jump into the moat that surrounded the fenced perimeter of the installation to get away from danger.
Years later, the television team covered another story in that room and the announcer and the female elephant coincided. Surprisingly, it was seen that the elephant picked up a stone from the ground with its trunk and, in a swift movement, threw the boulder with great force at the television crew, missing the target. by millimeters the speaker's body. This is a sample of the memory, in this case spiteful, that elephants have.
Asian male elephants suffer the must
The must is a strange eventual madness that Asian male elephants can suffer from cyclically. During these periods they become very dangerous, attacking anything or anyone that comes near them. "Tamed" elephants must remain chained by one leg to a huge tree for the duration of the must. A terrible and stressful practice for them.
They are sensitive to natural disasters
Elephants, as in other animal species, are sensitive to natural disasters, being able to sense them in advance. An example of this is the tsunami in Thailand in 2004. During a tourist excursion, the employed elephants began to cry and fled towards the highlands, since through the vibrations and movements they felt through their paws could understand that a tsunami was coming.
They have a dominant fang
In the same way that humans are left-handed or right-handed, although there are people who are ambidextrous, elephants also have a dominant tusk with which they carry out most of their activities. Usually is usually the smaller fang, since they handle it much more easily. Another of the curiosities of the elephant is that it uses the tusk to protect the trunk many times. They can even use it to defend themselves against threats or dig holes to look for water in times of drought.
His fangs can't come out again
Another of the great curiosities of elephants is the "life" that their tusks have. To the surprise of many, elephant tusks cannot grow back, so if they are broken or damaged, there is no chance of new ones coming out. After all, tusks are like human teeth, which in the case of elephants are much longer and stick out of their mouths. They have nerve endings and are connected to the skull.
Help ecosystems thrive
Another of the elephant's curiosities is its role within ecosystems. To the surprise of many, in Africa there are some species of trees that, in order for their seeds to germinate, must first pass through the digestive tract of elephants. Another important feature is that, thanks to the footprints of the elephants, a micro-ecosystem can be created that serves as a habitat for tadpoles and other organisms.
They have the longest gestation period of all mammals
Female elephants have a gestation period of 22 months Elephants reach sexual maturity between 10 and 11 years of age, although from 40 to 50 years old is when they are most receptive. The fact that the gestation period is so long is beneficial for the offspring, since in all this time there has been a more advanced brain development that other species. Every 4 or 5 years the female elephants have calves, which can be from 7 to 12.
How are elephants born? Find out here.
They barely sleep
The elephant is known for its slow and heavy attitude, but above all calm. An aspect that exemplifies this tranquility of elephants is the fact that they only sleep 2 hours a day In addition, they can sleep both standing up and lying down. The rest of the day is spent grazing to gather the food they will eat. This task can take them an average of 18 hours a day.
They are herbivorous animals
Although it may seem unimaginable due to the large size of these mammals, elephants are herbivorous animals. Their diet is based on eating herbs, roots, leaves and bark from the trees and bushes that surround them. In general, they usually eat between 100 and 200 kg of food a day Unlike the Asian elephant, another of the curiosities of the African elephant is that it eats a lot of fruit.
They don't eat peanuts
Against all odds and contrary to what most people believe, elephants do not eat peanuts. Peanuts are legumes of South American origin that elephants are not used to consuming. Even so, due to the exhibition of elephants in zoos and circuses, they have received peanuts as food from the public and visitors. It should be noted that, if they eat a lot, it is a very unhe althy food for them
Your skin is extremely sensitive
As a last curiosity of the elephants, we are going to comment that their skin is only a thickness of approximately 2.5 cm. This fact makes elephants extremely sensitive, especially in areas such as the ears, the mouth or the inside of the legs. Also, the skin color of elephants is actually a gray-black, but because of this thin layer of skin and the heat that their bodies give off, the current color that humans perceive of them is due to the amount of mud they throw at their backs.
