Elephants are the largest land mammals on the planet, also considered animals with surprising intelligence and memory, as well as a special social organization.
On our site we will talk a little more about them, specifically, we will explain what elephants look like when they are born. How big is a baby elephant? Are they born with all their capacities developed? We will discover all these data throughout this article on how elephants are born
Elephants calving - How is it and how long does it take
Elephants go into heat every 3 or 4 months, if a copulation occurs and they are fertilized while they are in heat, the gestation of the future offspring will take place. Like mammalian and placental animals, said gestation will take place in the mother's womb. See the article How Elephants Reproduce for all the details of the mating process.
Once pregnant, the elephant's gestation is very long, taking almost two years to complete. Something very curious that happens during the birth of an elephant is that, when the moment of delivery arrives, the mother is not alone When the labor begins, one or two Elephants from the herd stay with their mother, caring for her and assisting her during childbirth, which is why they are called midwives These midwives are responsible for encouraging the parturient during childbirth, caressing her with his trunk to relax her and avoid stress in the face of pain. Their work as sentinels is also important, as they watch for predators that could attack the defenseless mother or her offspring. Midwives have even sometimes been seen helping the calf to be born by pulling it with their trunks.
Now then, how exactly does an elephant give birth? As the beginning of the labor process, contractions appear, which begin days before delivery, causing discomfort in the mother. The contractions continue, becoming more frequent and intense.
Usually, elephants birth at night, this is effective in trying to calm the environment, in addition to the fact that the darkness itself helps They are not easily spotted by predators, keeping them hidden. Childbirth begins when the mother elephant's water breaks, because the amniotic sac in which the calf is found breaks, expelling all the liquid it contained to the outside. When the baby comes out through the vaginal canal, the mother cleans it with the help of her trunk, blowing on it and giving it heat. During the process the mother is usually standing, flexing her hind legs or sitting on them.
How long does an elephant give birth?
An elephant's labor is really brief, as it usually lasts about 15 minutes, unless there are additional complications. However, the large size of the offspring must be taken into account, so it is understandable that it is a painful and hard process for the mother, who has to use all her strength.
How many babies can an elephant have?
Only one elephant is born at each delivery, being truly extraordinary that twin elephants give birth. So much so, that only a few cases have been recorded in which there have been two offspring, becoming world news.
How are elephants born? - Video
To better see what the birth of elephants is like, we share a video in which the birth of an elephant is observed:
What are baby elephants like?
A baby elephant is a big baby. Already when they are born, elegant babies are usually around 100-150 kilograms of body weight, being able to stand and move with some autonomy. Thus, they are able to walk within hours of being born. This is because the gestation period for elephants is particularly long, taking approximately 22 months to complete.
When little elephants are born they have good hearing, but they are blind, because their eyes have not yet finished forming, not being trained to give them normal vision. Due to this lack of vision, small baby elephants are an easy target for potential predators. And then what happens when his mother has to go in search of food? Well, elephants live in herds, this makes it easier for mothers to be able to separate from their young for short periods of time, being able to go in search of resources and leaving their calf safe in the care of other females in the herd. This is fundamental, since in the absence of their mother they would be abandoned, however, the females without children take care of the young elephants as if they were their own offspring.
What do baby elephants eat?
Elephant calves feed on their mother's milk, like the mammalian animals they are, until they are about six months old. From this moment they begin to consume other foods. It is estimated that a baby elephant consumes an average of 10 liters of milk per day, this being very rich in protein, with a concentration 100 times higher than that of cows, and a high concentration of fat, necessary for the correct growth of the offspring.
