The most massive animal that lives on Earth is the African elephant. Moreover, his Indian "brother" has a much more modest size. The maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulders is 4 meters, and the weight of the old male reaches 7.5 tons. Let's find out about this animal as much as possible.
Facts in numbers
The African elephant is a mammalian animal that is distinguished not only by its impressive size, but also by psychology and lifestyle. Wildlife is inhabited by very few individuals - only 600,000, because these animals are listed in the International Red Book and protected by law.
The appearance of this giant is a delight, an adult has the following parameters:
- The body length of the animal ranges from 6 to 7.5 meters.
- The maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulders is 4 meters.
- The length of the tail is 100-130 cm.
- Body weight - from 3 to 7.5 tons.
- The length of the ears can reach 1.5 meters.
- Tusks weigh between 18 and 107 kilograms.
Elephant diver
African elephants are the descendants of extinct mastodons and mammoths. Based on this fact, it is not surprising that the maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulders.
Australian scientists, examining the embryo and embryo of an animal, came to the conclusion that many millions of years ago elephants were able to ... swim! The fact is that the structure of the renal ducts in the embryos has a striking resemblance to the same organs of frogs, fish and sea cows. In addition, it turned out that the testes of the male embryo are hidden inward in exactly the same way as in all marine mammals. Most likely, the waterfowl elephants that inhabited our planet many centuries ago swam under water, using their trunk as a scuba diver's pipe. By the way, when crossing reservoirs, modern species of elephants also use the trunk for breathing - a short neck does not allow them to keep their heads above the water. Of course, the height of the African elephant in the shoulders allows him to easily cross shallow backwaters ford. And at the depth the trunk will always help.
Elephant bonuses
No matter what the height of the African elephant in the shoulders (2 or 4 meters), his body covers a great many wrinkles from birth, their number increases with age. Both males and females possess tusks for this species of elephants. In addition, unlike other elephants with one “finger” on the trunk, the African is the lucky winner of two. If this species could be judged by human standards, then African elephants are a kind of aristocracy. In addition, the elephant’s brain is 4 times larger than the human - thus, this animal has the most impressive brain among those who have ever inhabited our planet.
It's all about the trunk!
Perhaps the most remarkable thing in appearance is not the maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulder, but its trunk. It does not have a single bone and consists mainly of muscles. There are a lot of them - about 40,000. Few people know that the trunk is nothing more than a hyper-long upper lip, which in the process of evolution has fused with the nose. The trunk for the elephant, like a hand for us, is needed to deliver food and water to the mouth, raise dust for bathing in dust baths, obtain food, make trumpet sounds, cut down trees. It also serves as an organ of smell, and with “fingers” an elephant can sort out and examine objects the size of a coin. By the way, the trunk is a rather heavy burden, and the elephant often gives itself rest by putting its anatomical feature on a tusk. Interestingly, the tiny elephants do not know how to use the trunk and learn this wisdom for several months.
Ivory
Elephant tusks are highly developed incisors, the length of which, no matter what the maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulders, can reach 3.5 meters. The main enemy of an adult elephant is a person who is ready to kill a huge number of these animals for the so-called ivory. Why are tusks needed? Elephants dig ditches with them and fight rivals during mating battles.
An interesting fact is that animals with massive tusks are found less and less - apparently, Mother Nature took pity on her ancient inhabitants, due to which evolution takes place, and what African giants are exterminated is reduced.
Miracle Locators
Elephants have rather small eyes, which they see badly. This is due not only to poor eyesight, but also to the fact that they are located on a practically motionless head, which significantly impoverishes the horizons of the animal. Even the maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulder does not help to explore the world. But these giants have truly magical ears! In addition to the functions of the air conditioner, they work like a radar, picking up sounds that a person can’t hear.
Scout Elephants
Despite the impressive weight, the elephants are able to move so silently that they would be envied by special forces. On the soles of elephant legs are elastic pillows that play the role of shock absorbers. Thanks to them, elephants walk on tiptoe. Their average speed is 6 kilometers per hour, but in case of danger they can move at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour. These animals do not know how to jump over obstacles and bounce up, but they easily cross water bodies.
Moms and babies
The female elephant becomes sexually mature at 14-15 years old and mates with males ready for mating battles. Together with the chosen one, the elephant is separated from the rest of the herd to reproduce offspring. The female’s pregnancy lasts longer than the human - about 22 months, after which only one baby is born, which is able to move in the herd in a couple of days. By the way, the weight of a newborn baby elephant rarely exceeds 140 kilograms. During the life cycle, one elephant is able to give birth to up to 12 babies.
Elephant cubs are a very tasty prey for different predators. They do not have tusks and have not yet grown up to the moment when the height of the African elephant in the shoulders frightens off those who want to have their meat with meat. In addition, in the first 5 years of life, babies feed on mother's milk and are under the watchful eye of an elephant. The baby begins to walk separately at the age of 10, and when he becomes a giant, and the maximum height of the African elephant reaches its highest point, no one is afraid of him, except for man.
In the natural habitat, elephants live for about as long as humans - for about 70 years. In captivity, these animals most often do not live to old age due to illnesses, poor living conditions, stress.