Facts & Info About Elephants
Increase your knowledge of Facts about
the Elephant with some brief, but essential information &
fast facts about this popular animal. Important facts, data
and info containing details of the description, name
origins and habitat of Elephants. Details of the size, height and
weight. Where they live and what they eat! Discover what
their lives are like! A mixture of Factual information
together with cool, fun, strange, amazing, weird and even
funny facts about Elephants. A detailed Fact Sheet covering a
whole host of topics and Elephant facts! Have Fun!
Description of African Elephants
The
African Elephant is described as the Loxodonta africana of Africa.
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. African elephants have large fan-shaped ears and two
“fingers” at the tip of its trunk, compared to only one in the
Asian species.
Description of
Indian Elephants
The
Indian Elephant is described as Elephas maximus of south-central
Asia. 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.
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
What does that word mean??
Some
fascinating information & facts about the words that are often
used to describe animals! Read the facts and information and decide how
Elephants
should be described!
What is a
Mammal?
A Mammal is a
warm blooded, vertebrate mammal. Warm blooded means that their
temperature remains the same although their surroundings might
change. This explains why they have a covering of hair on
their skin. A mammal has milk-producing mammary glands for
nourishing their young
What is a
Vertebrate?
A
Vertebrate is an animal that has a backbone which consists of
ring-like bones, called vertebrae, that protect the soft
spinal cord
What is an
Invertebrate?
An
Invertebrate animal does not have a backbone. They are also
cold-blooded which means their body temperature changes
according to the environment environment
What is a
Carnivore?
A
Carnivore is an animal which eats mainly meat
What is a
Herbivore?
A
Herbivore is an animal which eats mainly plants and grass
What is an
Omnivore?
An
Omnivore is an animal which eats both meat and plants
What is an
Amphibian?
An
Amphibian is an animal spend part of its life under water
(breathing with gills) and the remainder on land (breathing
with lungs)
Some
fascinating information & facts about the words that are often
used to describe animals! Read the information and decide how a
Elephants should be described!
Endangered Species
Wild life experts consider that
Elephants
are an endangered species. They are protected by the African
Elephant Conservation Act and the Endangered Species Act.
An “endangered” species is one that is in danger of extinction
throughout all or a significant portion of its range. The Causes
of a species of animal becoming endangered are due to Habitat
Destruction, Introduction of Exotic Species, Disease, Pollution,
and Over exploitation. Endangered Species Organizations are
dedicated to saving and preserving the world's most endangered
wildlife. The ivory trade and diminishing habitats are the
greatest threats to Elephants. Interesting facts about endangered Species
Elephants Facts and Information about Elephants We hope that the selection of
Facts about Elephants has provided you with the information you have
been searching for! A mixture of Factual information together with
cool, fun, strange, amazing, weird and even funny facts about this
amazing animal. A detailed Fact Sheet covering a whole host of
topics information and facts about Elephants. We believe that the concise and fun
facts provided are full of interesting information about this popular animal!
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