Where do elephants live. The elephant is the largest land mammal on the planet.

From the land animals of our planet. Currently, the detachment has 2 species: African and Indian elephant. The rest died out not so long ago by biological standards: mammoths - during the ice age, and mastodons shortly before the appearance of the first people in America.

African elephant (lat. Loxodonta) somewhat larger than its Indian counterpart, reaches a height of 4 meters, weighs about 7 tons and differs from it also in more impressive ears. These elephants live in the steppe regions of the mainland and in Egypt. Both females and males of African elephants have a formidable weapon - powerful tusks.

photo: Leon Molenaar

Distribution area of ​​Indian elephants (lat Elephas maximus) - the jungles of India, Ceylon, Indochina and Burma. These animals reach three meters in height and five tons in weight. Representatives of this species lack tusks, and the ears are much smaller than those of African cousins. Indian elephants have a finger-like protrusion at the end of their trunk, which they use to pick up and carry small objects. Unlike them, African relatives have two similar fingers. Elephants of India are much more peaceful than African ones and are more amenable to training, making friendly contact with a person, so they are often used as labor. At logging sites, elephants transport felled trees, lay boards on barges, and take logs out of the water.

photo: Manoj Kumar Sahoo

Elephant is an amazing animal, which differs from all not only in size, but also in body structure and habits. On occasion, the elephant gladly arranges a shower for himself. At the same time, a powerful trunk serves as a hose and a pump for water procedures. This multifunctional organ is a modified nose fused with the upper lip of the animal. It is necessary for the elephant to breathe and smell, drink and make trumpet sounds. With a trunk containing about 100 thousand muscles, elephants capture various objects weighing up to a ton, carrying them over impressive distances.

photo: World Land Trust

Unlike ancient ancestors, modern elephants have only one pair of tusks, a third of which is hidden inside the animal's body. They grow throughout the life of the elephant, along with it, and the size indicates a certain age of the animal. Elephants have no lower incisors. Ivory is of great value as an expensive ornamental material, so unfortunate animals often become the target of human hunting. Despite the legal ban on the ivory trade, poaching has not been completely eradicated, and hundreds of steppe giants still die annually at the hands of man.

photo: Terry Carew

Usually elephants live in large herds, which number from 15 to 50 or more individuals, where everyone is related. Very rarely there are animals that have strayed from the herd and live on their own. As a rule, they are aggressive and dangerous. In the herd, friendly relations have been established between the relatives, the animals greet each other, take care of the babies, remaining faithful to the herd. Elephants are included in the four, they are able to show emotions, grieving the loss of one of their fellows, they know how to rejoice at each other and even laugh. Elephants have an excellent memory, remembering people, events and places in which they find themselves.

These giants spend most of the day on the road, in search of food, which they absorb almost continuously, 16 hours a day, eating more than 130 kg. They feed on bark, leaves, roots and fruits of plants. Elephants drink about 200 liters of liquid per day, they spend the night, if possible, near water bodies. Despite their massiveness, elephants are excellent swimmers, capable of covering tens of kilometers through the water without stopping. There are cases when elephants swam more than 60 km without rest.

Elephants have a powerful skeleton, which makes up 15% of the animal's weight. Their skin reaches 2.5 cm in thickness and is covered with sparse hairs. Elephants, like humans, live an average of about 70 years. They are the only representatives of the terrestrial fauna that cannot jump. Despite the seeming sluggishness, these giants easily move across the plain, overcoming great distances, and while running, they reach speeds of up to 30 km per hour. Elephants spend only 4 hours a day sleeping. Photo: Marsel van Oosten

Elephants have very expressive body language. If the elephant spreads his ears, it means that he is dissatisfied and is able to show aggression. In case of danger, the animal uses its tusks, trunk and powerful legs. An elephant can trample an enemy or throw him away, capturing him with his trunk. When frightened, he makes a lingering screeching sound, which is also a sign of danger, because in a panic, this giant sweeps away everything in its path.

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Elephants live in a structured social order. The social life of females and males is not at all similar. Females spend their days and expend their energy to create a family, they aspire to become mothers, they are daughters and sisters. Regular groups of elephants are led by the oldest female elephant. Adult elephants live separately. The social circle of elephants does not end with a small family unit. In addition to relationships with local males, a female's life also includes interactions with other families, clans, and subpopulations. The most immediate family groups range from five to fifteen elephants, including baby elephants. When the group becomes too large, the older females, the daughters of the family, separate and form their own clan. Moreover, they know which of the groups are relatives to them, and which are not.

The life of an adult male is quite different. As he gets older, he begins to spend more time outside the herd, gradually leaving for a large number of hours or days at a time. Eventually the days become weeks, and around the age of fourteen, the mature male leaves the group for good. While males do lead primarily solitary lives, they sometimes form loose associations with other males. These groups are called bachelor herds. Men spend much more time than women fighting each other for dominance. Only the most dominant males will be allowed to breed with females. The less dominant must wait their turn. Usually these are older elephants, who are forty-fifty years old, they make a significant contribution to the reproduction of the genus. Fights between men can look very violent, and as a result, they inflict wounds on each other, but not much. Most of the meetings take place in the form of aggressive show-off and bluffing. Usually, smaller, younger, and less confident animals will retreat before they develop injuries or wounds. However, during the mating season, the fighting can become extremely aggressive, and even accidentally an elephant can be hurt by another elephant. During this season, the elephant will fight almost any other elephant it comes across. Self-awareness. The mirror is used in research to determine if the elephant sees itself, its understanding and self-knowledge. The elephants were given a mirror and marks were made on them. The elephants examined these markings, which were only visible through a mirror. Invisible markings were included in the Test to eliminate the possibility of using other senses to detect markings. This shows that elephants recognize the image in the mirror as their own, and such abilities are considered the basis for empathy, altruism and higher social interactions. Previously, this ability was found only in monkeys, Bottlenose Dolphins and humans.

Homosexuality. African as well as Asian elephants are also involved in sexual relationships. Such encounters are often associated with tender interactions such as kissing, intertwining trunks, and placing trunks in each other's mouths. These encounters are similar to heterosexual encounters, one male placing his trunk along the other's back and moving forward with fangs to show his intent to rise above the other. Unlike heterosexual relationships, which are of a fleeting nature, those that occur between men and are called "companionships" consist of an older elephant and one or two younger ones. The same sexual relations are common and frequent in both sexes, 45% of sexual relations are the relationship with the same sex.

Communication. Elephants communicate over long distances by producing and receiving low-frequency sound (infrasound), the sound produced by their feet is transmitted through the ground, such sound can travel a greater distance than through air. This sound can be felt by the sensitive skin of the elephant's legs and trunk, which raise resonant vibrations in the head. To listen carefully, each elephant in the herd lifts one foot off the ground. Climbing seems to increase ground contact and sensitivity of the remaining legs. Leading research into elephant infrasonic communication was done by Katie Payne, in her book Silent Thunder. Although this research is still in its infancy, it helps solve many mysteries, such as how elephants can find distant potential elephants for help, and how social groups are able to coordinate their movements over a wide area.

Reproduction.

Females reach sexual maturity between 9 and 12 years of age, and become pregnant for the first time at 13 years of age. They can reproduce offspring up to 55-60 years. Females give birth to offspring at intervals of approximately 5 years. Their gestation lasts about 22 months (630–660 days), the longest gestation period of any mammal, after which a single calf is typically born. Two baby elephants are born at once very rarely. Childbirth lasts from 5 minutes to 60 hours. The average time is 11 hours. At birth, the baby weighs approximately 90-115 kg, and every day they gain up to 1 kg in weight. In the wild, the mother is accompanied by other adult females who protect the children, and the elephants raise and cherish their baby elephants as a whole family group, in fact from the moment of birth.

Motherhood. The first sound a newborn baby usually makes is a sneeze or snort, done to clear the nasal passages that are filled with fluid. In the first few minutes after the baby is born, the guardians must control him to hear his first sound and see his first movement. Whatever the number of this cub, the mother typically reacts to her new child with surprise and excitement. With the help of its mother, a newborn baby elephant learns to stand on its feet for the first time 30 minutes after birth. For support, he leans against his mother's legs. A newborn calf already after an hour of standing on its feet grows stronger and is able to move with the group after its mother. Unlike most mammals, females have only a single pair of thoracic glands located behind the front legs. When babies are born they reach 90 cm, just enough to reach the udder. The mother breastfeeds directly into his mouth, since the trunk is not yet strong, and there are no muscles in it that can ensure the movement of milk. A newborn baby elephant eats for only a few minutes at a time, but often throughout the day. Consuming up to 11 liters of milk per day. The cub is nursed up to 2 years, sometimes more. The age at which he is weaned depends on the proximity of the mother, the amount of milk and the appearance of another child. Newborns learn mainly by observing adults and by no means instinctively. For example, a baby elephant learns how to use its trunk by watching older elephants how they treat it. It takes a few months for a baby to start controlling its trunk. Therefore, at an earlier time, he stumbles over his trunk or shakes his head with him.

Elephant. An elephant's social life revolves around breeding and raising children. Females are ready to breed at the age of 13, they begin to look for the most attractive man to enter into sexual relations with him. Females are generally attracted to larger, stronger, and, most importantly, older males. Such a reproductive strategy tends to increase the chances of their offspring to survive. Elephants have a very long childhood. They are born with fewer survival instincts than many other animals. Instead, they rely on their elders to teach them the things they need to know. The baby is born almost blind and at first relies, almost entirely, on its trunk to find the world around it.

Elephants are large mammals, which include two species: African and Indian. Previously, Mammoths lived on Earth (died out during the ice age) and mastodons (died out during the appearance of the first man on the North American mainland). In the article we will answer the question: "Where do elephants live?" and consider their habitat and habits.

Differences between Indian and African elephants

Despite the apparent absolute similarity in Indian and African elephants, there are many differences. Let's consider them in more detail.

1. African elephants are larger and heavier than their Indian relatives. The height of an adult animal living in Africa reaches 3.7 meters, and its weight is 6.5 tons. For comparison, in Indian relatives, these figures are at the level of 3.5 meters and 5 tons.
2. African elephants have larger ears, through the thin skin of which the veins are clearly visible. It is noteworthy that for each individual, the pattern of veins on the ears is individual, like fingerprints in humans.
3. A distinctive feature of African elephants is the presence of long, strong tusks in each animal, regardless of gender. In Indian elephants, only males have such an ornament. Tusks grow throughout life and act as an indicator of age.
4. The Indian elephant is calmer. Thanks to simple training, he becomes a reliable assistant to a person. He is trained to transport trees, stack planks, or retrieve items from rivers.

These are not all interesting facts about these animals. The following information will be useful to schoolchildren who want to get the maximum score for the exam. Among the elephants there are "left-handers" and "right-handers". Belonging to a certain category is determined by which tusk is shorter. These animals work with one tusk, as a result of which it wears out faster.

Elephant bone is expensive as an ornamental base, so they often die at the hands of poachers. Now the trade in ivory has been banned, but still, a hundred of these amazing animals die every year due to human fault.

Elephants have 4 molars. The weight of each tooth the size of a brick reaches 2-3 kilograms. Animals change their molars 6 times during their life. With age, the sensitivity of the teeth increases, which forces the animals to stay closer to the swampy area with soft vegetation.

The elephant differs from other animals in its impressive body weight, design, behavior and the presence of a long nose. The trunk is the connection of the upper lip and nose, with which he takes a shower, breathes, sniffs, drinks and makes sounds. With this organ, containing 100 thousand muscles, the animal takes objects weighing up to a ton and carries tens of kilometers.

Elephant habitat and habits

The African giant lives in the steppes of Africa and Egypt. Indian individuals live in India, Ceylon, Indochina, Burma.

• Elephants live in herds of up to 50 individuals who are bound by norms of behavior. Some live separately, as they are more likely to show aggression and are dangerous.
• There is a friendly atmosphere in the herd, relatives take care of the offspring, support each other.
• These are socially developed animals. They can show emotions and remember things, places, and people.

Elephants eat 130 kg of food per day (leaves, bark, fruits) and spend most of their time looking for it. Sleep no more than 4 hours a day. Animals are often located near rivers or lakes and drink 200 liters of water per day. The elephant is a good swimmer and easily swims great distances regardless of body weight.

The giant has a massive skeleton, accounting for 15% of its body weight. The skin integument reaches a thickness of 25 mm and is shrouded in sparse hairs. On average, an elephant lives 70 years. He does not know how to jump, but accelerates the speed of running up to 30 km per hour.

The female carries the baby for 88 weeks. This is an animal record. An elephant calf is born every four years with a weight of about 90 kg and a height of about a meter. The birth of a baby is important for the members of the herd.

These mammals have a clear language of communication. When the elephant is depressed or aggressive, the ears become spread. For protection, tusks, a trunk and massive legs are used. At the moment of danger or fright, the animal squeals and, running away, literally demolishes everything in its path.

Where do elephants live in captivity?

Elephants are present in almost every zoo. No wonder, because they are of particular interest to the public. But sometimes even well-known zoos, due to the lack of a suitable place for keeping, refuse these animals.

In a confined space, elephants suffer from boredom. In their natural environment, they spend a lot of time looking for and absorbing food. In a small pen, it is impossible to wander around enough, and a small number of individuals leads to a violation of social contacts.

European zoos are trying to provide elephants with spacious paddocks for walking. Less complaisant males, who are dangerous in a state of unrest, are allocated additional space. Some zoos provide pens for females with offspring. This allows members of a small herd to get acquainted with the replenishment.

Of great importance in breeding elephants is the diversity of walking. Large elephant enclosures equip the enclosures so that the animals move freely. Such conditions are more suitable for successful breeding in captivity.

Elephants are socially developed mammals. For many reasons, this species is on the verge of extinction. Animals need protection and protection. This fact found a lot of positive feedback among scientists and officials. Reserves are being actively created where animals live under protection. The territory of such complexes should correspond to the usual habitat. At the moment, several reserves meet these requirements, including:

1. Bandipur National Park, India.
2. Amboseli National Park, Kenya.
3. Elephant Sanctuary in Knysna, South Africa.
4. Elephant Sanctuary Kuala Gandah, Malaysia.
5. Elephant Safari Park, Bali.

Each of these places is ideal for entertaining summer holidays.

People harm the environment, so many species of animals are dying out, but there is hope that one of the largest mammals - elephants will continue to live not only in captivity, but also in their native environment. The task of a person is to help children to enjoy the greatness of these animals in the expanses of the savannah and forests.

The elephant is the largest land animal of the class mammals, such as chordates, the proboscis order, the elephant family (Elephantidae).

Elephant - description, characteristics and photo

Elephants are giants among animals. The height of the elephant is 2 - 4 m. The weight of the elephant is from 3 to 7 tons. Elephants in Africa, especially savannas, often weigh up to 10 - 12 tons. The powerful body of an elephant is covered with thick (up to 2.5 cm) brown or gray skin with deep wrinkles. Elephant cubs are born with sparse bristles, adults are practically devoid of vegetation.

The head of the animal is quite large with ears of noteworthy size. Elephant ears have a fairly large surface, they are thick at the base with thin edges, as a rule, they are a good regulator of heat exchange. Fanning the ears allows the animal to increase the cooling effect. An elephant's foot has 2 kneecaps.

This structure makes the elephant the only mammal that cannot jump. In the center of the foot is a fat cushion that springs up with every step, which allows these powerful animals to move almost silently.

The elephant's trunk is an amazing and unique organ formed by a fused nose and upper lip. Tendons and over 100,000 muscles make him strong and flexible. The trunk performs a number of important functions, at the same time providing the animal with breathing, smelling, touching and grabbing food. Through the trunk, elephants protect themselves, water themselves, eat, communicate and even raise their offspring. Another "attribute" of appearance is the tusks of an elephant. They grow throughout life: the more powerful the tusks, the older their owner.

An elephant's tail is about the same length as its hind legs. The tip of the tail is framed by coarse hair that helps to repel insects. The voice of an elephant is specific. The sounds that an adult animal makes are called boars, lowing, whispering and roaring of an elephant. The life expectancy of an elephant is approximately 70 years.

Elephants can swim very well and love water procedures, and their average speed of movement on land reaches 3-6 km / h.

When running for short distances, the speed of an elephant sometimes increases to 50 km / h.

Elephant species

In the family of living elephants, there are three main species belonging to two genera:

• genus African elephants(Loxodonta) are divided into 2 types:
  • bush elephant(Loxodonta africana)

differs in gigantic size, dark color, developed tusks and two processes at the end of the trunk. It lives along the equator throughout Africa;

African Elephant (Savanna Elephant)

• • forest elephant(Loxodonta cyclotis)

has a small stature (up to 2.5 m at the withers) and rounded ears. This type of elephant is common in tropical African forests.

Species often interbreed and produce quite viable offspring.

• Genus indian(Asian) elephants ( Elephas) includes one species - Indian elephant ( Elephas maximus)

It is smaller than the Savannah but has a more powerful build and short legs. Color - from brown to dark gray. A distinctive feature of this species of elephants is small quadrangular auricles and one process at the end of the trunk. The Indian or Asian elephant is common in the tropical and subtropical forests of India, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Indian elephant

Where and how do elephants live?

African elephants live almost throughout hot Africa: in Namibia and Senegal, in Kenya and Zimbabwe, in Guinea and the Republic of the Congo, in Sudan and South Africa, elephants in Zambia and Somalia feel great. The main part of the livestock, unfortunately, is forced to live in national reserves, so as not to become the prey of barbarian poachers. The elephant lives in any landscape, but tries to avoid the desert zone and overly dense tropical forests, preferring the savannah zone.

Indian elephants live in the northeast and south of India, in Thailand, China and on the island of Sri Lanka, they live in Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia. Unlike their counterparts from the African continent, Indian elephants like to settle in wooded areas, preferring bamboo thickets of the tropics and dense shrubs.

For about 16 hours a day, elephants are busy absorbing food, while eating about 300 kg of vegetation with appetite. The elephant eats grass (including cattail, papyrus in Africa), rhizomes, bark and leaves of trees (for example, ficus in India), wild fruits, marula and even. The diet of an elephant depends on the habitat, as different trees and grasses grow in Africa and India. These animals do not bypass agricultural plantations, causing significant damage to crops, sweet potatoes and other crops with their visits. Their tusks and trunk help them get food, and their molars help them chew. Elephant teeth change as they grind down.

In the zoo, elephants are fed hay and greens (in large quantities), and they also give animals vegetables, fruits, root crops: cabbage, apples, beets, watermelons, boiled, oats, bran, willow branches, bread, as well as bananas and other favorite delicacy of elephants. culture. For a day in the wild, an elephant eats about 250-300 kg of food. In captivity, elephant food intake is as follows: about 10 kg of vegetables, 30 kg of hay and 10 kg of bread.

Adult individuals are well-known "water drinkers". An elephant drinks about 100-300 liters of water per day, so these animals are almost always near water bodies.

elephant breeding

Elephants form family herds (9-12 individuals), including a mature leader, her sisters, daughters and immature males. The female elephant is a hierarchical link in the family, she matures by the age of 12, at 16 she is ready to bear offspring. Sexually mature males leave the herd at the age of 15-20 years (African at 25 years old) and become solitary. Every year, males fall into an aggressive state caused by an increase in testosterone, lasting about 2 months, so quite serious clashes between clans, ending in injuries and mutilations, are not uncommon. True, this fact has its plus: competition with experienced counterparts stops young male elephants from mating early.

Elephant breeding occurs regardless of the season. The male elephant approaches the herd when he feels the female is ready to mate. Loyal among themselves in normal times, the males arrange mating fights, as a result of which the winner is admitted to the female. An elephant's pregnancy lasts 20-22 months. The birth of an elephant takes place in a society that is created by the females of the herd, surrounding and protecting the woman in labor from accidental danger.

Usually one baby elephant weighing about a centner is born, sometimes there are twins. After 2 hours, the newborn baby elephant stands up and sucks mother's milk with pleasure. After a few days, the cub easily travels with its relatives, grabbing the mother's tail with its trunk. Milk feeding lasts up to 1.5-2 years, and all lactating females participate in the process. By 6-7 months, vegetable food is added to milk.

The elephant is the largest land mammal on earth. These giants evoke positive emotions in us from early childhood. Most people believe that elephants are smart and calm. And in many cultures, the elephant is a symbol of happiness, peace and home comfort.

Elephant species

Today there are three types of elephants on the planet, which belong to two genera.

African elephants are divided into two types:

• the bush elephant is an animal of huge size, with a dark color, well-developed tusks and two small processes located at the end of the trunk. Representatives of this species live along the equator on the territory of the African continent;
• the forest elephant is distinguished by its relatively small stature (up to 2.5 m) and rounded ears. This species lives in the tropical forests of Africa. These species, by the way, often interbreed and produce viable offspring.

The Indian elephant is much smaller than the African, but has a more powerful physique and disproportionately short legs. The color can be from dark gray to brown. These animals are distinguished by small quadrangular auricles and one process at the very end of the trunk. The Indian elephant is an animal common in the subtropical and tropical forests of China and India, Laos and Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Description of the elephant

Depending on the species, the growth of an elephant at the withers ranges from 2 to 4 meters. The weight of an elephant varies from 3 to 7 tons. African elephants (especially savannas) sometimes weigh up to 12 tons. The powerful body of this giant is covered with thick skin (up to 2.5 cm thick) of gray or brown color with deep wrinkles. Baby elephants are born with sparse coarse bristles, and adults have almost no vegetation.

Large with large hanging ears, which have a fairly large inner surface. At the base they are very thick, and closer to the edges - thin. Elephant's ears are the regulator of heat exchange. By fanning them, the animal provides cooling for its own body.

An elephant is an animal with a rather specific voice. The sounds that an adult makes are called boars, lowing, whispering and roaring. in nature - about 70 years. In captivity, this period can be extended by five to seven years.

Trunk

An elephant is an animal with a unique organ. The trunk reaches a length of about one and a half meters and its weight is about one hundred and fifty kilograms. This organ is formed by the nose and fused upper lip. More than 100 thousand muscles and tendons make it flexible and strong.

The ancestors of elephants, who inhabited the Earth in the distant past, lived in swamps. They had a very small proboscis, which allowed the animal to breathe underwater, while foraging. Over millions of years of evolution, elephants left the swampy areas, significantly increased in size, respectively, the elephant's trunk adapted to new conditions.

Carries heavy loads, picks juicy bananas from palm trees and puts them in his mouth, draws water from reservoirs and arranges a refreshing shower for himself during the heat, makes loud trumpeting sounds, smells.

Surprisingly, the elephant's trunk is a multifunctional tool that is quite difficult for little elephants to learn how to use, often the cubs even step on their proboscis. Elephant mothers are very patient, for several months they teach their cubs the art of using this much-needed "process".

Legs

An amazing fact, but the legs of an elephant have two kneecaps. Such an unusual structure made this giant the only mammal that cannot jump. In the very center of the foot is a fat pad that springs up with every step. Thanks to her, it can move almost silently.

Tail

An elephant's tail is about the same length as its hind legs. At the very tip of the tail is a tuft of coarse hair. With the help of such a brush, the elephant drives away insects.

Distribution and lifestyle

African elephants have mastered almost the entire territory of Africa: Senegal and Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, the Republic of the Congo and Guinea, South Africa and Sudan. They feel great in Somalia and Zambia. The main part of the livestock lives in national reserves: in this way, African governments protect these animals from poachers.

An elephant can live in territories with any landscape, but it tries to avoid desert zones and dense tropical forests, preferring savannah to them.

Indian elephants mainly live in the south and northeast of India, in China, Thailand, on the island of Sri Lanka. Animals are found in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia. Unlike their African counterparts, they prefer wooded areas, choosing dense shrubs and bamboo thickets.

Elephants live in herds, in which all individuals are related by kinship. These animals know how to greet each other, take care of their offspring in a very touching way and never leave their group.

Another amazing feature of these huge animals is that they can laugh. An elephant is an animal that, despite its size, is a good swimmer. Moreover, elephants are very fond of water procedures. On land, they move at an average speed (up to six kilometers per hour). While running for short distances, this figure increases to fifty kilometers per hour.

Eating elephants in nature

Researchers have calculated that about sixteen hours a day elephants devote to the absorption of food. During this time, they eat up to 300 kg of various vegetation. The elephant happily eats grass (including papyrus, cattail in Africa), bark and leaves of trees (for example, ficus in India), rhizomes, fruits of wild apples, bananas, marula and even coffee. Elephants and agricultural plantations do not bypass, causing them significant damage. This applies primarily to crops of sweet potato, corn and a number of other crops.

Elephants get food with the help of tusks and trunk, and chew it with molars, which change as they grind down. In zoos, the diet of elephants is much more diverse: they are fed with greens and hay, they are given various vegetables and fruits. Especially willingly they eat apples and pears, cabbage, carrots and beets, they love to feast on watermelons.

Adults drink a lot of water - up to 300 liters per day, so in natural conditions they try to be near water bodies.