Generally we associate certain traits or particular characteristics with some animals, so it is hard for us to imagine them without that peculiarity. Thus, for example, when we think of an elephant, its great size, its long troop and its striking tusksimmediately come to mind. But is it true that all do elephants have tusks?
In this article on our site, we will explain to you whether or not it is true that all elephants have tusks, incredible incisors for the which, for a long time, elephants have been persecuted and mistreated by human beings.
Characteristics of elephant tusks
The tusks of these mammals are incisor teeth that grow from their upper jaw and curve along the side of their trunk. They are made of ivory, a material of high hardness and resistance, which is initially white, but over time it turns yellowish or light cream. However, the African forest elephant may have a pink coloration to the tusks.
These particular formations can measure less than one meter or considerably exceed this dimension, reaching two or more meters in length In fact, there are individuals that have dental structures that almost reach the ground. As for the weight, it can also vary depending on the size, but there are records of pieces that exceed 100 kilos
On the other hand, elephants may make more frequent use of a particular tusk, eventually leading to one piece being slightly smaller than the other due to wear.
What are elephant tusks for?
These colorful formations help them in various purposes, for example they can move or lift objects, pick up the food and remove the bark from the trees. In addition, they use them to defend themselves or confront each other, in the case of males when they compete for a female.
On the other hand, with them they can dig in the ground to look for water when it is a dry season. But these species are not the only ones favored by their fangs, since it has been shown that when they use them to get water, knock down trees or open paths within the vegetation, other animals benefit from these actions, as is the case of some species that They establish their nests in trees felled by these large mammals.
If you want to know more curiosities about these animals, we encourage you to read this other article on Curiosities of the elephant.
Are there elephants without tusks?
Although the presence of tusks is a particular trait of these animals, not all elephants have tusks, so yes, there are elephants that are born without them.
Among the elephants that do not have tusks, we find the Asians, which generally lack them, especially females, since a certain percentage of males tend to have them. When a female has fangs, they are much smaller than those of a male. In India, elephants born without tusks are called Makhna.
On the other hand, African elephants commonly have tusks, both males and females, only a small percentage of this group, approximately 2% present the absence of these incisors. However, this percentage is likely to increase over time as an evolutionary adaptation to avoid being hunted by these structures.
In this way, faced with another of the great doubts, "the female elephant has tusks or not", we see that the answer depends on the species, not the gender. So Asian females normally don't have tusks, but African female elephants do have tusks, just like males.
For more information, you can consult this other article on Differences between the African and Asian elephant.
What happens if you remove an elephant's tusks?
Elephants that are naturally born without tusks do not need them, however, the specimens that do have them do so because they fulfill the functions mentioned above. When an elephant's tusks are removed without causing serious injuries, it can survive without them, but it is a very painful act, because let's remember that they are teeth and have endings nervous. Also, when an elephant has lost its tusks, they do not grow back and the actions it performed, such as feeding and defending itself, are greatly diminished.
The hunt and the tusks of the elephants
Throughout human history, various civilizations have used ivory as a highly coveted material, an aspect that is still maintained and that has killed thousands of elephants. Elephants are, in fact, one of the species that have suffered the most from human action to be stripped of this part of their body. The ivory obtained from the tusks was traditionally used in decorations of temples, buttons for clothes, piano keys, jewelry, combs, cane accessories, chairs and others objects.
Currently, ivory is in great demand in Africa and Asia and, despite legal restrictions, its illicit trade is still maintains, since it is still used for the elaboration of objects used in various cults, ceremonies or religious acts. On the other hand, it is also used for the production of various types of ornaments, decorative figures, as well as the base of daggers.
But not only hunting for their tusks has caused the drastic decline in elephant populations, but also use of their skin to make amulets, as well as the alteration and fragmentation of ecosystems. On the other hand, their illegal trade to be used in circuses and the murder product of the overlapping of their habitats with that of humans, has considerably affected the number of individuals in the various regions.
Conservation status of elephants
The two African elephant species are classified as vulnerable, while the Asian elephant is cataloged in danger of extinction.
All current species are under various forms of legal protection, which prohibit their hunting and marketing, however, in some areas these laws are not applicable, so they suffer from the attacks described above. Existing elephants, regardless of the region of location, are animals that should be favored with the application of strict conservation measures In addition, the sanctions should be more severe for those who act against them, because otherwise and irremediably, the extinction of these species will irreversibly increase.
