Did you know elephants can grow up to various sizes? The common asian elephant can grow up to the tallest of 2.7 metres tall the African bush elephant can grow up to the height of 3.3 metres. Asian elephants can live up to the age of 48 years. The African forest elephant can live to the oldest age of 70 years.
Food
Elephants consume several hundred pounds of vegetation daily. An elephant spends sixteen to eighteen hours eating each day that’s 80% of their life. Elephants eat fruit such as mangos, apples and many more. They usually enjoy chewing on twigs and bark. Elephants use their trunks to bring food to their mouths, ripping up grass from the groundor pulling leaves from trees. They also use their trunks to drink. They do this by sucking water part way up their trunks and then squirting it into their mouths.
Aperance
How much do elephants weigh? Weighing up to 6000kgs. The African elephant is the largest land mammal. The elephant is knowen for its skilful trunk, long curved tusks and their massive ears. Have you ever wondered what elphants skin feels like? Elephants skin is a wrinkled texture, wrinkles act as a cooling protection by increasing the skins surface area. The additional skin and wrinkles trap moisture, which then takes longer to evaporate. Wrinkles keep elephants cooler than if they had smooth skin.
Habitat
Elephants live in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia. They are found most often in the savvanas, grasslands, and forests. They can also live in deserts. Why are elephants indangered? Because ivory is very valuable to some humans, many elephants have been killed for their tusks. This trade is illegal today, but it has not been completely eliminated, and some African elephants popualtin are still endangered. At the turn of the 20th century, there were a few million African elephants left.
Conclusion
The amazing large mammal called an elephant is very unique and interesting.
By Lara Deans
