THE BEAUTIFUL UNIQUENESS OF ELEPHANTS

Asian elephant with straight inferior edge on their ears.
Photo by Thangaraj Kumaravel
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Elephants are a series of mammal species, which form a family called Elephantidae. They have a unique and peculiar appearance, which along with many more interesting features, made them one of the most famous animals in the world. Elephants are only found in two continents: Africa and Asia. In Africa, there are two species, the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant. Both African species are notably bigger than the Asian species. In fact, the African bush elephant is the biggest land animal on the planet. Another distinction between the elephants of the two continents is the shape of their ears. Asian elephants have a straight lower border on their ear, while African species have it curved. It is very easy to remember because the ears of African elephants are shaped like the African continent. If you want to learn a little bit about the most unique characteristics of elephants, stay with me during the next paragraphs.

 

African elephant with curved inferior edge in the ears. 

Tusks are one of the most interesting features of elephants and yet most of us do not know much about them. In essence, they are modified teeth, more specifically, incisors. They start appearing around the age of 6 to 12 months and grow continuously at a rate of 7 inches (17 centimeters) per year during all the lives of the elephants. These are used to achieve many tasks such as digging holes to find water or roots, to lift objects or to remove bark from trees. Elephants also utilize them to fight for dominance and to defend themselves. But the most amazing fact about them is that, just as how humans are left or right-handed, elephants have a dominant tusk. It can be differentiated because it is usually shorter and less sharp from use. The last interesting aspect about them we are going to talk about is that they are present in both males and females of African elephants, but only in some males and never females of Asian elephants. This is another way to distinguish between the two kinds.

If their tusks are widely known, their trunk is probably their most famous feature. It is the result of the fusion between their nose and their upper-lip and it contains up to 150,000 different muscles, and we can differentiate three different kinds: dorsal, ventral and lateral. These are all connected to the skull and coordinate to generate precise and complex movements. Elephants have found many different uses for their trunks, such as breathing, smelling, grasping things or sound production. They can also be used to collect food or even for fighting. Finer work such as opening peanuts can also be performed with it. Related to water, elephants use it to suck water to drink or to spray themselves and they have also been seen using it as a snorkel.

As any animal of this colossal size, they have some adaptations and behaviors that allow them to keep their metabolism working. They must eat up to 330 lb (150 kg) of food per day and drink around 11 US gallons (40 l) of water. Due to their size, they are key species for their ecosystems, as the impact they generate is essential for the survival of other species. The holes they dig are used as shelter by other animals, their dung feeds other species, etc. Their big bodies generate a lot of heat, that is dissipated by their highly vascularized ears. Their gestation period is the longest of any mammal, lasting around 22 months. After the calve is born, the whole group takes care of it.

Another amazing fact about elephants is that they are extremely intelligent. They are self-aware animals, which means that they understand the concept of their existence as individuals. They share this quality with some cetaceans, apes and us, humans. Their intelligence has led them to use tools such as branches or logs to achieve tasks.

Although quite often facts about animals are just myths, elephants do have excellent memory. They can remember places, people or sounds for very long periods of time.

Unfortunately, when an animal is as magnificent as elephants, it suffers the risk of catching the eye of wildlife traders. Elephants have been captured to work at circuses or tourist attractions and hunted to sell their tusks, which are made of ivory. From Terrestria: The Earth’s Brand, we condemn wildlife trade and capture and we think animals should be free to live how and wherever they want. We encourage you to report any illegal wildlife trading to the authorities because it is extremely harmful for many species. 

Elephants are fascinating creatures with many unique features. They are necessary for the good health of the ecosystems they inhabit and they are one of the proofs that there’s great intelligence out of the human species.