Today everyone knows about elephants, probably there will not be a single person who would not hear anything about these amazing animals. Yes, and seeing them at present is not a big problem - they are found in almost all large menageries, performing in many circuses of the world. But far from everyone knows about where the elephant lives in nature.
The detachment of these animals now has only two species: African and Indian. The rest, for example, mammoths and American mastodons, have already become extinct. By the name of the species, it is easy to determine where the elephant lives. African ones are found in the savannahs of this continent, in its central and northern parts, Indian ones are in Southeast and South Asia, because of this they are also called Asian. In the past, the distribution of these amazing animals was much wider; they lived on all continents except Australia and Antarctica.
Who are they and how do they look
Unlike ancient ancestors, modern elephants have only one pair of tusks, and there are no incisors and fangs. They have a massive skeleton, accounting for almost 15% of body weight. Thick skin has sparse hair, while newborn elephants are more shaggy.
Nature gave these animals an amazing part of the body - the trunk, which plays a very important role in the life of elephants. The trunk has considerable strength, it can lift one ton.
In the territory where the elephant lives, these animals move in herds, which include several dozen females, young individuals and small elephants. The herd is led by an adult leader. Loners are rare and pose a danger to people, as they are more aggressive than their herd brethren.
The animals spend the bulk of their lives in motion, slowly moving from place to place, eating leaves and bark from trees. And although they look awkward, they can move with surprising ease if necessary. Their limbs are not only a reliable support, but also allow you to move on any surface, even along a swamp. Being land animals, they are, nevertheless, good swimmers, able to swim nonstop all day.
The average life expectancy of an elephant, like a person, is 50-70 years. But animals rarely survive to very old ages. In the area where the elephant lives, there are many predatory animals - lions, hyenas, wild dogs that pose a danger to giants.
In terms of mental ability, only dolphins, dogs and monkeys can be compared with elephants. They have a great memory, and they remember for a lifetime those places where they felt bad, or people who offended them.
Elephants in india
The Asian species is easy to distinguish from the African one, since they have different ancestors, and they even look different in appearance. Indian representatives are lighter and weigh an average of up to 6 tons. They have a hunchbacked back, while the African has a bent back. Indian have a high forehead, ears are triangular in shape and almost three times smaller than that of counterparts from Africa. Another difference is a smoother trunk with one flexible process at the end.
In Asia, these magnificent animals have always been respected. India became famous for their special respect - the elephants in this country are simply enriched. The Hindu god of wisdom Ganesha is portrayed as a man with an elephant head. Not a single big holiday in this country is complete without elephants in lavishly decorated blankets.
