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They are very large, grey, four-legged herbivorous mammals.
They have almost hairless skin, a distinctive long, flexible,
prehensile trunk. Its upper incisors form long curved tusks of
ivory. The ears of Indian elephants are significantly smaller than
African elephants.
Understanding Scientific names of animals
The scientists who
study animals (zoology) are called zoologists. Each animal that
is studied is classified, that is, split into descriptive groups
starting with main groups ( vertebrates and invertebrates ) the
Families of animals are also included such as Ursidae ( the family
of bears) and the families are then split into species such as
Ursus americanus (American Black Bear)
Facts about where Elephants live and what they eat!
Elephants are herbivores and eat all types
of vegetation such as grasses, leaves, fruits, and bark
Facts about Elephants ears
- Despite the size of ears the
elephant’s hearing is poor
- African elephants have bigger ears
than Indian elephants
- African elephants ears are used to
aid ventilation
- One of the softest parts of their
body is at the back of the ears, which is called the knuckle.
Elephant trainers, called Mahouts, use their feet to steer or
give commands to the animal via the knuckle at the back of the
ears
Basic Facts about Elephants
The name of an adult male is referred to
as a bull
The name of an adult female is referred to as a cow
The name or offspring, or a baby Elephant, is a calf
The average size of a litter is just one elephant
The collective name for a group of Elephants is a herd
The sounds made by an adult Elephant are referred to as grunts,
purrs, bellows, whistles and trumpeting
Facts about the Size of
Male African Elephants
A fully grown adult reaches the height of
10 - 13 feet
Adult African elephants weigh about 15,400 pounds
Facts about the Size of
Male Indian Elephants
A Fully grown adult reaches the height of
10 feet
Adult Indian elephants weigh about 11,000 pounds
Cool and Fun
Facts about the life, behavior
and personality of Elephants
- The elephant is the largest of all
land mammals
- Life Span - elephants can live for
up to 70 years
- Elephants normally walk about 4 mph
- Elephants are able to swim for long
distances
- Elephants spend about 16 hours a
day eating
- They consume as much as 495 pounds
of food per day
- They live in tight social units led
by an older matriarch
- Males leave the herd between the
ages of 12 and 15
- Their tusks are of ivory and are
actually enormously enlarged incisors
- The elephant's eyes are small and
its eyesight is poor
- They have the largest brains in the
animal kingdom
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