The elephant is the largest land mammal. Today, there are three species of these animals: the Indian elephant, African savannah and African forest. The maximum recorded weight of an elephant is 12, 240 kg, while the average body weight of these animals is about 5 tons. And what other interesting facts about elephants do you know? Want to know more about these animals? Then read on.
How long does an elephant live?
The life span of an elephant is affected by its living conditions. Under natural conditions, animals constantly face dangers, in particular drought and poachers killing elephants for valuable tusks. Up to 8-10 years, small elephants cannot protect themselves on their own and in the event of the death of their mother, they die from predators. How long does an elephant live in nature? The average life span of an elephant is between 60 and 70 years.
At the same time, centenarians are known among captive animals. The oldest elephant named Lin Wang lived 86 years (1917-2003). He participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War, then in the construction of monuments, performed in a circus, but he lived most of his life in the Taipei Zoo in Taiwan. Lin Wang was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the elephant who lived the longest in captivity.
How long does an elephant's pregnancy last?
Interestingly, the elephant is able to conceive only a few days a year, despite the fact that mating between animals can occur all year round. An amazing fact is how long the elephant's pregnancy lasts. On this basis, large mammals are record holders among all animals on earth. The female’s pregnancy lasts 22 months, that is, almost 2 years.
After this period, an elephant calf is born, which can hardly be called small. The weight of a baby elephant is 120 kg. Childbirth usually goes without complications. Toddlers are born blind and often suck their trunk, like a human thumb. But no matter how strong the baby elephant is born, it is a rather helpless animal that needs protection from predators. Only at the age of 15, the animal becomes an adult and can create its own family.
How much does an elephant eat?
Under natural habitats, leaves and grass containing a high percentage of moisture are included in the diet of an elephant. Depending on the drought and rainy season, it can also feed on the bark and fruits of various trees and shrubs. Given the size of the animal, it is not at all surprising how much the elephant eats. Moreover, he spends up to 16 hours on this. Every day, an animal eats from 45 to 450 kg of plant food, on average - about 300 kg.
So much elephant eats in natural conditions. In captivity, their diet includes hay (30 kg), carrots (10 kg) and bread (5-10 kg). They can also be given grain and various mineral and vitamin complexes that make up for the lack of nutrients. Elephants drink about 100-300 liters a day. If the animal begins to drink more, as a rule, this indicates a disease. With tuberculosis, an elephant can drink up to 600 liters of water per day.
Trunk, tusks and ears
What is known about the trunk of an elephant? Let's introduce some interesting facts about this body:
- the trunk is part of the nose of an elephant, but does not have a nasal bone;
- a long and flexible trunk consists of 150 thousand different muscles that control it;
- with the help of a trunk, an elephant can suck up up to 8 liters of water at a time, then to send it to the mouth;
- animals use the elephant trunk only for water collection, but do not drink it (if they tried to drink through it, it would cause the same cough reflex as in humans);
- with the help of a trunk, an elephant can raise up to 350 tons of food;
- trunk length is about 150 cm;
- thanks to the trunk, elephants can easily cross deep rivers - this organ serves as a built-in oxygen tube, the tip of which they hold above the water, while their body is completely immersed in the river.
To dig and lift weights, elephants use not only the trunk, but also tusks. The length of tusks in African elephants can reach 2.5 m, and weight - 100 kg. During sleep, the old elephant lays its tusks on branches of trees or shrubs, in captivity it thrusts them into the openings of the lattice or rests against the wall.
One elephant's ear weighs 85 kg. This part of their body is an excellent temperature regulator. When the air temperature reaches 40 ° C and the animal is hot, he actively waves his ears, like propellers. In rain and in strong winds, an elephant, on the contrary, holds ears tightly to its head.
Are elephants afraid of mice?
The statement that elephants are afraid of mice appeared back in ancient times thanks to the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder. In one of his works, he wrote that elephants are more afraid of mice and rats than other animals.
Modern scientists have completely refuted the discovery of their "colleague." Their studies proved that an elephant and a mouse could well live side by side, if not for one “but”. The fact is that the elephant, like a slow animal, is annoyed by any sudden movements in its direction. Even if the dog just runs or the snake crawls quickly, it will make him very worried. If the elephant is shown a mouse sitting peacefully on his hand, he will not react to it in any way, and if it crawls into the trunk, then the elephant will simply shake it with a sharp movement.
Thus, scientists have proved that the claim that elephants are afraid of mice is just a myth.
Smart animals
Elephants are self-aware and discern their reflection in the mirror, as are dolphins and some species of monkeys. Animals are some of the smartest on earth.
Interesting facts about elephants confirming their high level of intelligence:
- Their brain weighs 5 kg, which is more than other animals.
- Elephants are able to express any emotions, including joy, grief, compassion. This animal can save a trapped dog even at the cost of his life.
- The elephant has unique learning abilities, it repeats the commands of people and reproduces them.
- For communication, elephants use 470 stable signals. Using ultrasound, they warn each other about the dangers.
- Elephants observe burial rites. They bury the deceased member of the herd, falling asleep with stones, after which they sit on the spot for several days, expressing grief.
