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Awesome Animals
Unforgettable
elephant facts
Become an instant elephant expert with our info overload!
There are three species of elephant – the African savannah elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. They live in savannahs, grasslands, forests, deserts, swamps and mountains!
From left to right: African savannah elephant, African forest elephant, Asian elephant
Elephants spend 12 to 18 hours a day eating plants including grass, tree bark and fruit. They use their long trunks to smell their food and lift it up into their mouths – yum! They also use their trunks to smell water up to 5km away. They suck water up their trunks then blow it into their mouths.
An elephant’s trunk is its nose and an upper lip. As well as smelling and grabbing things it can be used as a snorkel when an elephant wades in deep water.
All that eating creates a lot of poo! Each elephant produces about a tonne of poo every week, which spreads seeds and makes the soil great for growing plants. Elephants also dig waterholes and create footpaths, changing the landscape around them!
Elephants live in family groups led by the oldest and largest female or ‘matriarch’ (pronounced may-tree-ark). She protects and guides her family using knowledge gained over her long life. Wild elephants live to about 70, so that’s a lot of wisdom!
Elephants create their own sunscreen! Since African elephants live in very hot countries, they keep cool by squirting a trunkful of cool water over their bodies. Then they spray mud and sand up and over themselves. This creates a layer of dirt on their skin, which stops it burning. Clever!
Elephants are the world’s largest land animal! Male African savannah elephants can grow up to three metres tall and weigh up to six tonnes.
Elephants have a secret superpower – they can hear with their feet! They communicate with each other over long distances using deep rumbles that vibrate through their feet and up to their ears.
