Elephant Interesting Facts

Elephant is the largest land mammal grouped in two genera of the family Elephantindae : Loxodonta and Elephas. Only three species are living today namely the African Forest , the African bush and the Asian Elephant. It can have offspring up until the age of fifty years old and like humans reach puberty at thirteen or fourteen years of age. Can live up to over seventy years and a cow gives birth to a single calf and rarely twins in some cases. Birth interval is between tow and a half to four years. An orphaned calf is adopted by one of the family’s lactating females or suckled by various females.

Elephant trunk joins the nose and the upper lip and has over 100,000 muscle units. The trunk can get very heavy and sometimes has to be rested over the tusk. It doesn’t drink water with their trunk but use it as a tool to hold water and the pour it into its mouth. It can cry, play,have very good memories and laugh. When a member dies, a still born baby or a friend there is a lot of mourning. It is the most sensitive animal and if a baby complains , the whole family will touch and careless it. Greeting ceremonies are organized when a lost family member or friend returns to the group.

Elephants have a very highly developed sense of smell, but their deep growling or rumbling noises is the principle means of communication. Each individual is thought to have own signature growl by which it can be identified. Sometimes they communicate with their ears by blasting them together when in danger or alarmed to make the others form a protective circle around the younger members of the family group. It’s interesting that they make law-frequency calls which even though loud, are too low for humans to hear. The sounds allow them to communicate with one another at distances of five to six miles.

By: arthurmwa

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Arthur is a researcher and writer on wildlife, tours and travels. For more of his work, please visit his site at arthurpages.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-are-elephants.html