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Wild elephants. Elephants: photo and description of the animal

Elephant- one of the most amazing animals. They not only know a lot, but they can also be sad, worry, bored and even laugh.

In difficult situations, they always come to the aid of their relatives. Elephants have a talent for music and drawing.

Features and habitat of the elephant

Two million years ago, during the Pleistocene period, mammoths and mastodons were widespread throughout the planet. Currently, two species of elephants have been studied: African and Indian.

There is an opinion that this is the most large mammal on the planet. However, it is wrong. The largest is the blue or blue whale, in second place is the sperm whale and only the third place is occupied by the African elephant.

It is truly the largest of all land animals. The second largest land animal after the elephant is the hippopotamus.

At the withers, the African elephant reaches 4 m and weighs up to 7.5 tons. Indian elephant weighs a little smaller – up to 5t, its height – 3m. The mammoth is one of the extinct proboscis animals. The elephant is a sacred animal in India and Thailand.

Pictured is an Indian elephant

According to legend, Buddha's mother had a dream White elephant with a lotus, which predicted the birth of an unusual child. The white elephant is a symbol of Buddhism and the embodiment of spiritual wealth. When an albino elephant is born in Thailand, this is a significant event; the King of the state himself takes it under his wing.

These are the largest land mammals, which also inhabit Southeast Asia. They prefer to settle in savanna areas and tropical forests. It is impossible to meet them only in deserts.

Elephant animal, which is famous for its large tusks. They are used when obtaining food, to clear the road, and to mark the territory. The tusks grow constantly, in adult individuals the growth rate can reach 18 cm per year, old individuals have the largest tusks of approximately 3 meters.

Teeth are constantly worn down, fall out and new ones grow in their place (they change about five times in a lifetime). The price of elephant ivory is very high, which is why the animals are constantly being destroyed.

And although the animals are protected and are even listed as international, there are still poachers who are ready to kill this beautiful animal for profit.

It is very rare to find animals with large tusks, since almost all of them were exterminated. It is noteworthy that in many countries killing an elephant carries the death penalty.

There is a legend about the existence of separate mysterious cemeteries among elephants, where old and sick animals go to die, since it is very rare to find the tusks of dead animals. However, scientists managed to dispel this legend; it turned out that porcupines feast on tusks, which thus satisfy their mineral hunger.

Elephant is a species of animal, which has another interesting organ - a trunk, reaching seven meters in length. It is formed from upper lip and nose. The trunk contains approximately 100,000 muscles. This organ is used for breathing, drinking and making sounds. It plays an important role when eating food, as a kind of flexible hand.

To grasp small objects, the Indian elephant uses a small appendage on its trunk that resembles a finger. The African representative has two. The trunk serves both for plucking blades of grass and for breaking big trees. With the help of the trunk, animals can take a shower from dirty water.

This is not only pleasant for the animals, but also protects the skin from annoying insects (the dirt dries out and forms a protective film). Elephant is a group of animals which have very large ears. U African elephants they are much larger than those of Asian ones. The ears of animals are not only a hearing organ.

Since elephants do not have sebaceous glands, they never sweat. Numerous capillaries piercing the ears in hot weather expand and release excess heat into the atmosphere. In addition, this organ can be fanned.

Elephant- the only thing mammal, which cannot jump or run. They can either simply walk or move at a brisk pace, which is equivalent to running. Despite its heavy weight, thick skin (about 3 cm) and thick bones, the elephant walks very quietly.

The thing is that the pads on the animal’s foot spring and expand as the load increases, which makes the animal’s gait almost silent. These same pads help elephants move through swampy areas. At first glance, the elephant is a rather clumsy animal, but it can reach speeds of up to 30 km per hour.

Elephants have excellent vision, but use more of their senses of smell, touch and hearing. Long eyelashes designed to protect against dust. Being good swimmers, animals can swim up to 70 km and stay in the water without touching the bottom for six hours.

The sounds made by elephants using the larynx or trunk can be heard at a distance of 10 km.

Character and lifestyle of an elephant

Wild elephants live in a herd of up to 15 animals, where all individuals are exclusively females and relatives. The head of the herd is the matriarch female. The elephant cannot stand loneliness; it is vital for him to communicate with his relatives; they are loyal to the herd until death.

Members of the herd help and care for each other, raise children conscientiously and protect themselves from danger and help weak members of the family. Male elephants are often solitary animals. They live next to some group of females, less often they form their own herds.

Children live in a group until they are 14 years old. Then they choose: either stay in the herd or create their own. If a fellow tribesman dies, the animal becomes very sad. In addition, they respect the ashes of their relatives, they will never step on them, trying to move them from the path, and they even recognize the bones of relatives among other remains.

Elephants spend no more than four hours sleeping during the day. Animals African elephants sleep standing up. They huddle together and lean on each other. Old elephants lay their large tusks on a termite mound or tree.

Indian elephants spend their sleep lying on the ground. The elephant's brain is quite complex and is second only to whales in structure. It weighs approximately 5 kg. In the animal world, elephant- one of the most intelligent representatives of fauna in the world.

They can recognize themselves in the mirror, which is one of the signs of self-awareness. Only and can boast of this quality. Also, only chimpanzees and elephants use tools.

Observations have shown that the Indian elephant can use a tree branch as a fly swatter. Elephants have excellent memory. They easily remember places they have been and people they have interacted with.

Nutrition

Elephants love to eat. Elephants feed 16 hours a day. They need up to 450 kg of various plants daily. An elephant can drink from 100 to 300 liters of water per day, depending on the weather.

In the photo there are elephants at a watering hole

Elephants are herbivores; their diet includes tree roots and bark, grass, and fruits. Animals replenish the lack of salt with the help of licks (salt that has come to the surface of the earth). In captivity, elephants eat grass and hay.

They will never give up apples, bananas, cookies and bread. Excessive love for sweets can lead to health problems, but candies of a wide variety of varieties are the most favorite treat.

Elephant reproduction and lifespan

In terms of time, the mating season of elephants is not strictly defined. However, it has been observed that during the rainy season, the birth rate of animals increases. During the period of estrus, which lasts no more than two days, the female attracts the male for mating with her cries. They stay together for no more than a few weeks. At this time, the female can move away from the herd.

Interestingly, male elephants can be homosexual. After all, the female mates only once a year, and her pregnancy lasts quite a long time. Males need sexual partners much more often, which leads to the emergence of same-sex relationships.

After 22 months, usually one cub is born. The birth takes place in the presence of all members of the herd, who are ready to help if necessary. After they are over, the whole family begins to trumpet, shout and announce the increase.

Baby elephants weigh approximately 70 to 113 kg, are about 90 cm tall and are completely toothless. Only at the age of two years do they develop small milk tusks, which will be replaced by molar tusks with age.

A newborn elephant calf needs more than 10 liters of mother's milk per day. Until two years of age, it constitutes the child’s main diet, and little by little the baby begins to eat plants.

They may also feed on their mother's feces to make it easier to digest plant branches and bark. Baby elephants always stay close to their mother, who protects and teaches him. And you have to learn a lot: drink water, move with the herd and control the trunk.

Working with a trunk is a very difficult task, constant training, lifting objects, obtaining food and water, greeting relatives, and so on. The mother elephant and members of the entire herd protect the babies from attacks and.

Animals become independent at the age of six. At 18 years of age, females can give birth. Females give birth to babies approximately once every four years. Males become mature two years later. IN wildlife The life expectancy of animals is about 70 years, in captivity - 80 years. The oldest elephant, who died in 2003, lived to be 86 years old.

It's easy to guess that African elephant lives in Africa, almost throughout the continent. It is the largest land animal, reaching a weight of more than 3 tons. The African elephant is quite tall - 4 meters. This type of elephant has quite large and pronounced tusks. In males, the tusks are large - up to three meters; in females they do not reach even a meter. The trunk of elephants is formed by the fusion of the upper lip and nose. Elephants are herbivorous mammals, preferring grasses, leaves, and branches as food. Elephants live in families of several individuals (the number of individuals is approximately 10-15 in each group). Elephants are very friendly to each other, and peace reigns in their family. Adult elephants carefully guard young elephants, and when a baby is born, the whole family seems to rejoice. The female carries the cub for quite a long time - almost two years. Usually one baby elephant is born. After birth, the cub feeds on mother’s milk for 2 years and only after five years lives independently. Life expectancy of elephants: 50-60 years.

Indian elephant

Habitat: India, Southeast Asia. It is slightly smaller than the African elephant. Compared to the African elephant, the Indian elephant has smaller ears and less pronounced tusks. Some females have no tusks at all. The elephant also feeds on grass and various fruits. By the way, all elephants feed with the help of their trunk: they take food with their trunk and put it in their mouth. They also drink using their trunk. The Indian elephant is more friendly towards people, so they are captured for circuses and zoos more often than African elephants. Now the population of Indian elephants has sharply declined.

How many species of elephants are there in the world?

African forest elephant

To date, only two species have survived in the elephant family (Familia Elephantidae Sgau): Indian elephants, which are found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, as well as on the Indochina Peninsula, and African elephants, which zoologists divide into those living in savannas (savanna elephants) and living in tropical forests (forest elephants).

African and Indian elephants differ in body structure
and disposition.

These differences are quite large, and when crossing two elephants different types there are no offspring.

The African elephant is taller than the Indian elephant, its ears are larger, its skin is rougher, its trunk is thinner, the tusks, which both males and females have, are more developed; The weight of males reaches 5 - 7.5 tons, females - 3 - 4 tons.

Indian male elephants weigh 4.5 - 5 tons, females - 3 - 4 tons; Females, as a rule, do not have tusks.

Both African and Indian elephants live in herds.

The basis of the herd is a family group of two to five, sometimes more, elephants related by family relationships (most often this is an old female elephant and her offspring of different generations).

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Origin of modern elephants

As is known, both species of elephants are descendants of Proboscidea - an ancient animal with a trunk. Elephants living today are descended from two different branches of ancestors that developed in parallel. Both of them developed when dinosaurs dominated the earth. It was then that Moeritheres, tapir-like animals, appeared on the territory of modern Egypt.

This happened in the Paleocene era (65 million years ago).

How many species of elephants live on earth?

The structure of the skull and the arrangement of the teeth of these proboscideans were almost the same as those of the modern elephant, and the four teeth were the harbingers of modern tusks. Another branch was represented by Deinotheriidae, animals that lived in Africa and Eurasia.

Being in favorable conditions, all these animals over the next twenty-six million years spread throughout Africa and Eurasia, and over time, throughout North and South America. Different climatic conditions and habitats have led to the emergence various types proboscis

They lived everywhere - from the polar ice cap to the desert, including the tundra, taiga, and forests, as well as savannah and swamps. All species, and there were more than three hundred of them, can be divided into four main classes.

Deinotherium lived in the Eocene era (58 million years ago) and was very similar to modern elephants. They were much smaller, had a shorter trunk, and two large tusks curled down and back. This class became extinct 2.5 million years ago.

Gomphotherium lived during the Oligocene era (37 million years ago).

They had an elephant's body, but a vestigial trunk. The teeth were similar to those of modern elephants, but there were also four small tusks, two of which were twisted up and two down. Some had wide, flat jaws that allowed them to scoop up swamp vegetation. Others had significantly smaller jaws, but more developed tusks. This species became extinct approximately 10,000 years ago.

From Gomphotherium in the Miocene-Pleistocene era (10-12 million years ago) Mamutidae (Mammutidae), often called mastodons, evolved.

These animals were almost the same as elephants, but had a more powerful body, long tusks and a long trunk. They also differed in the location of their teeth. The eyes of mastodons were much smaller, and there was dense hair on the body.

It is assumed that mastodons lived in forests until primitive people came to the continent (approximately 18,000 years ago).

Elephantids (Elephantidae) evolved from mastodons in the Pleistocene era (1.6 million years ago) and gave rise to the family Mammuthus, the closest family to prehistoric elephants, the huge woolly mammoths and two lineages of modern elephants: Elephas and Loxodonta. Mammuthus imperator, native to southern North America, was the largest mammoth: 4.5 meters (15 feet) at the shoulder.

The northern woolly mammoth, Mammus primigehius, lived in northern North America and Eurasia. Its numbers were enormous.

This species is the most studied, as several whole frozen individuals have been found, which are still stored in this form to this day.

Woolly mammoths were slightly larger than modern elephants and protected themselves from the cold with long, dense, reddish fur and a 76 millimeter (3 in) thick layer of fat under their skin.

Their long tusks were curled downwards, forwards and inwards and served to tear apart the snow covering the vegetation. The African and Indian elephant are all that remain today of their many ancestors.

Information sent by: Malyakina Z. E. MGAVMiB im. K.I. Scriabin.

Types of elephants

Of these two species, African elephants are further divided into two species (savannah and forest), while Asian elephants are divided into four species (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumartan and Borneo).

Elephants, like people, are capable of change, and change depending on their character, emotions and personal qualities ( individual characteristics). Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years - they have been domesticated and are now used as vehicle in difficult terrain, for carrying heavy objects such as logs, and at festivals and the circus.

Currently, the Indian elephant is the largest, with longer front legs and a slimmer body than its Thai counterparts. We will dwell in more detail on Thai elephants, although of course these characteristics apply to all types of Asian Elephants. Let's pay attention to some small details. Using our own experience and taking into account information from numerous other sources, we will tell you our own interpretation.

Asian elephants

About half of them are domesticated, the rest live in the wild in National Parks and Reserves. Around 300 are suffering in Bangkok's deplorable conditions. It is known that in the early 20th century (1900 AD) more than 100,000 elephants lived in the Siamese (Thai) countryside. Asian elephants are smaller than African ones.

How many species of elephants are there in the world?

They have smaller ears, and only males have tusks.

The first species is the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). They live on the island of Sri Lanka. A large male can reach 5,400 kg (12,000 lb) and be over 3.4 m (11 ft) tall. Sri Lankan males have very convex skulls.

Their head, trunk and belly are usually bright pink.

Another species, the Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) makes up the majority of the Asian elephant population. There are about 36,000 of them, they are light gray, with depigmentation only on the ears and trunk. A large male averages only 5,000 kg (11,000 lb), but they are still as tall as the Sri Lankan.

Indian elephants are found in eleven Asian countries, from India to Indonesia. They prefer forests and areas between forests and fields where a greater variety of food is available to them.

The smallest group of elephants is the Sumartan elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus). There are only 2100 - 3000 individuals. They are a very light gray color with pink only on the ears. A mature Sumartan elephant reaches only 1.7-2.6 m (5.6-8.5 ft) in height and weighs less than 3,000 kg (6,600 lb).

Although it is, of course, a huge animal in any case, the Sumartan elephant is nevertheless much smaller than any other Asian (and African) and exists only on the island of Sumatra, usually in forests and groves.

In 2003, another species of elephant was discovered on the island of Borneo. They were called Borneo Dwarf Elephants, they are smaller and calmer, more docile than other Asian elephants.

They have relatively large ears, more a long tail and straighter fangs.

African elephants

Elephants of the genus Loxodonta, known as African elephants, are currently found in 37 countries in Africa. The African elephant is the largest living land animal. It is characterized by a massive heavy body, big head on a short neck, thick limbs, huge ears and a long muscular trunk.

The most striking difference from Asian ones is the ears. Africans have them much larger and are shaped like the continent of their origin.

Both male and female African elephants have tusks and are typically less hairy than their Asian counterparts. Tusks grow throughout an elephant's life and serve as an indicator of its age. Historically, African elephants have been observed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, the area where elephants live has been greatly reduced. The African elephant has become completely extinct in Burundi, Gambia and Mauritania; some species have survived further north, in Mali. Despite their wide distribution area, elephants are mainly concentrated in national parks and reserves.

Traditionally, there are two species of African elephants, namely the Savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) and the Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis).

The African savannah elephant is the largest of all elephants. In fact, it is the largest animal on Earth in the world, reaching 4 m (13 ft) in height and weighing approximately 7,000 kg (7.7 tons).

Average male- about 3 m (10 ft) tall and 5500-6000 kg (6.1-6.6 tons) in weight, the female is much smaller. Most often, Savannah elephants are found in open fields, swamps, and on the shores of lakes.

They mainly live in the savannah and migrate south from the Sahara Desert.

Compared to the Savannah Elephant, the African Forest Elephant's ears are typically smaller and more prominent. round shape, the tusks are thinner and straighter. The forest elephant weighs up to 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) and reaches a height of 3 m (10 ft). Much less is known about these animals than about their savannah counterparts; emerging political differences and the habitat conditions of African forest elephants prevent their study.

Typically, they inhabit impenetrable tropical forests of the central and West Africa. The largest populations of Forest Elephants are currently found in Southern and Eastern Africa.

There are two species of elephant - the African elephant (genus: Loxodonta) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). They are different, but there are still some striking differences. African elephants number approximately 500,000, while the number of Asian elephants is declining dramatically, with less than 30,000 remaining.

Of these two species, African elephants are further divided into two species (savannah and forest), while Asian elephants are divided into four species (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumartan and Borneo). Elephants, like people, are capable of change, and change depending on their character, emotions and personal qualities (individual characteristics).

Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years - they have been domesticated and are now used for transportation in difficult terrain, for carrying heavy objects such as logs, and at festivals and in the circus. Currently, the Indian elephant is the largest, with longer front legs and a slimmer body than its Thai counterparts. We will dwell in more detail on Thai elephants, although of course these characteristics apply to all types of Asian Elephants.

Let's pay attention to some small details. Using our own experience and taking into account information from numerous other sources, we will tell you our own interpretation.

Asian elephants

They are officially considered an endangered species; in Thailand their numbers reach only 3,000-4,000.

Asian elephants are smaller than African ones. They have smaller ears, and only males have tusks.

The first species is the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). They live on the island of Sri Lanka. A large male can reach 5,400 kg (12,000 lb) and be over 3.4 m (11 ft) tall.

Sri Lankan males have very convex skulls. Their head, trunk and belly are usually bright pink.

Another species, the Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) makes up the majority of the Asian elephant population.

There are about 36,000 of them, they are light gray, with depigmentation only on the ears and trunk. A large male averages only 5,000 kg (11,000 lb), but they are still as tall as the Sri Lankan. Indian elephants are found in eleven Asian countries, from India to Indonesia.

They prefer forests and areas between forests and fields where a greater variety of food is available to them.

The smallest group of elephants is the Sumartan elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus).

There are only 2100 - 3000 individuals.

Elephant - description, species, where it lives

They are a very light gray color with pink only on the ears. A mature Sumartan elephant reaches only 1.7-2.6 m (5.6-8.5 ft) in height and weighs less than 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Although it is, of course, a huge animal in any case, the Sumartan elephant is nevertheless much smaller than any other Asian (and African) and exists only on the island of Sumatra, usually in forests and groves.

In 2003, another species of elephant was discovered on the island of Borneo.

They were called Borneo Dwarf Elephants, they are smaller and calmer, more docile than other Asian elephants. They have relatively large ears, a longer tail, and straighter fangs.

African elephants

Elephants of the genus Loxodonta, known as African elephants, are currently found in 37 countries in Africa.

The African elephant is the largest living land animal. It is characterized by a massive, heavy body, a large head on a short neck, thick limbs, huge ears and a long, muscular trunk.

The most striking difference from Asian ones is the ears. Africans have them much larger and are shaped like the continent of their origin. Both male and female African elephants have tusks and are typically less hairy than their Asian counterparts. Tusks grow throughout an elephant's life and serve as an indicator of its age.

Historically, African elephants have been observed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, the area where elephants live has been greatly reduced. The African elephant has become completely extinct in Burundi, Gambia and Mauritania; some species have survived further north, in Mali. Despite their wide distribution area, elephants are mainly concentrated in national parks and reserves. Traditionally, there are two species of African elephants, namely the Savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) and the Forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis).

The African savannah elephant is the largest of all elephants. In fact, it is the largest animal on Earth in the world, reaching 4 m (13 ft) in height and weighing approximately 7,000 kg (7.7 tons). The average male is about 3 m (10 ft) tall and weighs 5500-6000 kg (6.1-6.6 tons), the female is much smaller. Most often, Savannah elephants are found in open fields, swamps, and on the shores of lakes. They mainly live in the savannah and migrate south from the Sahara Desert.

Compared to the Savannah Elephant, the ears of the African Forest Elephant are usually smaller and more rounded, and the tusks are thinner and straighter.

The forest elephant weighs up to 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) and reaches a height of 3 m (10 ft). Much less is known about these animals than about their savannah counterparts; emerging political differences and the habitat conditions of African forest elephants prevent their study. Typically, they inhabit the impenetrable tropical forests of central and western Africa.

The largest populations of Forest Elephants are currently found in Southern and Eastern Africa.

. African elephant
. Indian elephant
. The fate of elephants in Africa
. About Indian elephants
. Indian working elephants
. African savannah elephant
. What is an Indian elephant?
. What is an African elephant?
. Origin of modern elephants
. Andrey Kornilov and circus elephants
. Did the mammoth hunt or warming influence the disappearance of the animal?
. forest elephant
. The smallest elephant

Body: The color varies from brown to dark gray, the hair of elephants is long, coarse, and sparsely covers the body. Elephants have thick skin that protects them from the cold.

Elephant - brief description, breeding process, interesting facts (89 photos + video)

The elephant also has four thick legs to support their enormous weight.

Vision: Elephants are quite nearsighted, able to see clearly only at very close distances, up to approximately 10 meters.

Hearing: Excellent hearing by human standards. Big ears act as amplifiers and warn of possible dangers.

Smell: A well-developed sense of smell surpasses that of any other mammal on Earth.

Touch: An amazing sense of balance is a consequence of an excellent sense of touch.

The elephant's trunk, an incredibly versatile organ, plays a large role in this ability. You will find a more detailed description of the elephant's trunk on this page.

Taste: Like all highly developed animals, food is sufficient and the elephant can easily distinguish between good, bad and favorite food.

Teeth and tusks: Male Asian African elephants have large tusks - up to 1.5 - 1.8 m in length, while females have no tusks at all.

African elephants have long tusks in both sexes. Newborn elephants have tusks that are only 2 inches long. And only when they reach two years of age do the tusks begin to grow. In fact, tusks are the teeth of elephants. The only creature that also has tusks is the walrus. Elephants need tusks to dig the ground for food, remove garbage, fight, and carry loads weighing up to 1 ton, such as timber.

The molars (chewing teeth) are at least 30 cm (1 ft) long and weigh approximately 4 kg (8.8 lbs). Elephants have only four of these teeth. When new molars form, they completely displace the old ones. During its life, an elephant usually replaces its molars six times; the last ones grow in at about 40 years of age. When, around the age of 70, they break down, it becomes difficult for the elephant to eat, and subsequently, many of the elephants die of starvation.

Tusks never stop growing.

Legs: An elephant's legs are large, straight pillar-like supports because they must support all of its enormous weight.

Therefore, the elephant does not need developed muscles to stand, since it has straight legs and soft pads on its feet. Thus, an elephant can stand on its feet for a very long time without getting tired. In fact, African elephants rarely lie down unless they are tired or sick.

Indian elephants, on the contrary, lie down often.

An elephant's feet are almost circular in shape. The African elephant has three claws on its hind legs and four on its front legs. The Indians have four on the back and five on the front.

The peculiar structure of the soles (a special springy mass located under the skin) makes the gait of elephants almost silent.

Under the weight of the elephant, the bulges of the sole increase, and when the weight decreases, they also deflate. Thanks to this, the elephant can plunge deep into the mud and move through swampy terrain: when the animal stretches its leg out of the quagmire, the sole takes the shape of a cone narrowing downwards; when stepping, the sole flattens under the weight of the body, increasing the area of support.

Elephants are good swimmers, but they cannot walk fast, jump, or gallop.

They can walk only in two ways: normal walking, and a faster one, similar to running. When walking, the legs act like pendulums, the hips and shoulders rise and fall while the feet remain on the ground. Thus, elephants always have at least one foot on the ground.

When walking quickly, an elephant has three feet on the ground at the same time. When walking at a normal pace, an elephant's speed is approximately 3 to 6 km/h (2 to 4 mph), but can reach a maximum of 40 km/h (24 mph).

. Features of elephants
. general characteristics elephants
. Anatomy of an elephant
. Why does an elephant need a trunk and tusks?
. Sensitive Organs
. elephant body
. Reproductive system of a female elephant
. Male reproductive system
. Elephant digestive system
. How many fingers does an elephant have?
. Elephants mating
. Elephant feet

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Taxonomy
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IUCN
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NCBI
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Body length reaches 6-7.5 m, shoulder height ( highest point body) - 2.4-3.5 m. Average body weight in females is 2.8 tons, males - 5 tons.

Tusks

Trunk

“The pattern of veins on the surface of an elephant’s ears is as individual as a person’s fingerprints. It can be used to identify an elephant. Holes and tears at the edges of the ears also help in identification.”

The skin, painted dark gray, reaches a thickness of 2-4 cm and is cut by a network of wrinkles. Young elephants covered dark hair, which are wiped off with age; only at the end of the tail remains a long black tassel. “Despite its thickness, elephant skin is sensitive to various injuries and insect bites and needs regular care. To protect it from the sun and insects, elephants take dust and mud baths, and also swim in ponds.”

Tail length - 1-1.3 m; the number of caudal vertebrae is up to 26 (less than that of the Asian elephant). There are 5 hooves on the hind limbs, the number of hooves on the front limbs varies from 4 to 5. The peculiar structure of the soles (a special springy mass located under the skin) makes the gait of elephants almost silent. Thanks to it, elephants are able to move through swampy terrain: when the animal stretches its leg out of the quagmire, the sole takes the shape of a cone narrowing downward; when stepping, the sole flattens under the weight of the body, increasing the area of support.

Spreading

Historically, the African elephant's range extended throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In ancient times, it (or a separate species Loxodonta pharaonensis) was also found in North Africa, but became completely extinct in the century. n. e. The range, which was almost continuous in the past, is now greatly fragmented, especially in West Africa. The area of distribution of elephants decreased from 30 million km² to 5.3 million km² (). The African elephant is completely extinct in Burundi, Gambia and Mauritania (IUCN 2004). The northern border of the range runs approximately 16.4° N; an isolated population persists further north in Mali. Despite their wide distribution area, elephants are mainly concentrated in national parks and reserves.

Taxonomy

Lifestyle

They inhabit a wide variety of landscapes (with the exception of tropical forests and deserts) up to 3660 m above sea level; occasionally found up to 4570 m above sea level. The main requirements for habitat are: availability of food, shade and fresh water, from which elephants, however, can travel more than 80 km.

They are active both during the day and at night, but activity decreases during the hottest hours. In areas with high human activity, they switch to night look life. According to observations during the day, the African elephant spends 13% of its time resting, 74% on feeding, 11% on transitions and 2% on other activities. Peak feeding occurs in the morning.

Elephants have poor vision (at a distance of no more than 20 m), but they have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Communication uses a large number of visual signals and touches, as well as a wide repertoire of vocalizations, including the well-known loud trumpet sounds. Research has shown that elephant calls contain infrasound components (14-35 Hz), making them audible over long distances (up to 10 km). In general, the cognitive and perceptual abilities of African elephants are less well studied than those of Asian elephants.

Despite their massive build, elephants are surprisingly agile. They swim well or move along the bottom of a reservoir with only their trunk above the water. They usually move at a speed of 2-6 km/h, but at a short time can reach speeds of up to 35-40 km/h. Elephants sleep standing up, gathered together in a dense group; only the cubs lie on their sides on the ground. Sleep lasts about 40 minutes.

Nutrition and migration

An elephant eats branches from a tree

Eating plant foods: leaves, branches, shoots, bark and roots of trees and shrubs; The proportions of feed depend on the habitat and time of year. During the wet season, most of the diet consists of herbaceous plants such as papyrus ( Cyperus papyrus) and cattail ( Typha Augustifolia). Old elephants feed mainly on swamp vegetation, which is less nutritious but softer; for this reason, dead elephants are often found in swamps (hence the legend of “elephant cemeteries” where they come to die). Elephants need daily watering, and in the dry season they sometimes dig holes in the beds of dry rivers, where water from aquifers. These watering holes are used not only by elephants, but also by other animals, including buffalos and rhinoceroses. One elephant consumes from 100 to 300 kg of food per day (5% own weight) and drinks 100-220 liters of water. Forest elephants that feed on fruits usually receive the necessary liquid with food, only in dry season going to the reservoirs. African elephants also need salt, which is either found on licks or dug out of the ground.

In search of food and water, the African elephant can travel up to 500 km; On average, it covers a distance of about 12 km per day. In the past, the length of seasonal migrations of African elephants reached 300 km. Almost all elephant migrations followed general scheme: at the beginning of the rainy season - from permanent reservoirs; in the dry season - back. Off-season, shorter migrations occurred between water and food sources. The animals followed their usual routes, leaving behind clearly visible trampled paths. Currently, migrations of African elephants are limited due to increased human activity, as well as the concentration of the bulk of the elephant population in protected areas.

Social organization

African elephant herd

Elephants lead a nomadic lifestyle. They travel in stable groups, which in the past reached 400 animals. The herd usually contains 9-12 animals belonging to the same family: an old female (matriarch), her offspring and older daughters with immature cubs. The female matriarch determines the direction of the nomadic movement; decides when the herd should feed, rest or bathe. She leads the herd until she is 50-60 years old, after which she is succeeded by the oldest female. Sometimes the family also includes one of the matriarch's sisters and her offspring. Males are usually expelled or leave the herd when they reach sexual maturity (9-15 years), after which they lead a solitary lifestyle, sometimes gathering in temporary herds. Males contact matriarchal families only during estrus of one of the females. When a family gets too big, it splits up. Herds may be temporarily united (Serengeti, Tanzania); observations have shown that some African elephant families have special relationships and spend significant time together. In general, elephants are sociable and do not avoid each other.

Research in Lake Manyara National Park (Tanzania) has shown that individual elephant families stick to certain areas rather than roaming throughout the park. While not territorial, elephants, however, stick to their feeding areas, which in favorable conditions vary from 15 to 50 km². The home ranges of single males are much larger, up to 1500 km². The largest areas are recorded for elephants from Kaokoveld (Namibia), where annual precipitation is only 320 mm: 5800-8700 km².

Communication within the herd takes many forms, including vocalizations, touch, and a variety of postures. Collective behavior includes shared care of offspring and protection from predators. Family members are extremely attached to each other. Thus, when elephants from the same family unite after several days of separation, their meeting is accompanied by a welcoming ceremony, which sometimes lasts up to 10 minutes. At the same time, the elephants show great excitement: they emit loud cries, intertwine their trunks and cross their tusks, flap their ears, urinate, etc. If the parting was short, the ceremony is reduced to flapping the ears, trumpet “greetings” and touching the trunk. There are cases when elephants took wounded relatives away from danger, supporting them on their sides. Elephants apparently have some idea of death - judging by their behavior, they, unlike other animals, recognize the corpses and skeletons of their relatives.

Fights in the herd are rare. Elephants demonstrate dominance and aggression by raising their heads and trunks, straightening their ears, digging their feet into the ground, shaking their heads, and making demonstrative attacks on their opponents. Fights are usually limited to pushing and crossing tusks; only during fights for a female can males inflict serious and fatal wounds on each other with their tusks. A subordinate position is indicated by lowered head and ears.

Reproduction

Breeding is not associated with a specific season, but most calving occurs in the middle of the rainy season. During dry periods or in crowded habitats, sexual activity decreases and females do not ovulate. Males wander in search of females in estrus, staying with them for no more than a few weeks. Estrus in female elephants lasts about 48 hours, during which time she calls males with cries. Usually, before mating, the male and female are removed from the herd for some time.

Elephant with baby elephant

Conservation measures had a beneficial effect on elephants - their numbers began to grow, under favorable conditions giving 4-7% annual growth. So, in national park Kruger (South Africa) there were only 10 elephants in the city, 135 in the city, 995 in the city, 2374 in the city, but currently the number of elephants is estimated at 12,000. In some places, the critically increased number of elephants in limited areas forces resorting to their planned shooting, as well as to the use of contraception and sterilization and the resettlement of part of the livestock to other reserves. The number of elephants is also being reduced by destroying artificial reservoirs, established in dry parts of some national parks, causing elephants to wander outside the park boundaries. Licensed sport hunting of elephants is permitted in a number of countries; export quotas The following countries have CITES for sports trophies.

Elephants are the largest land mammals on our planet. The most famous species of the elephant family are African and Asian (Indian) elephants. They live on different continents, but lead almost the same lifestyle.

Where do elephants live?

African elephant habitats

Once upon a time African elephants inhabited almost all African continent. The habitat of elephants stretched from north to south of the entire continent. Back in the 6th century AD, the northern elephant population was completely exterminated.

In the 21st century, the African elephant population has survived in southern, western, eastern and central African countries, namely: Namibia, Tanzania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, Mali, Botswana, Ethiopia, Chad, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Zambia, Uganda, Botswana, Niger, Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, Liberia, Cameroon, Benin, Sierra Leone, Togo, Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, Gabon, Swaziland, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea. Most of the livestock in these countries live in nature reserves and national parks. When elephants leave nature reserves, they often become the prey of poachers.

African elephants live in different landscapes, avoiding only deserts and tropical forests. The main priorities for choosing places for elephants to live are the following criteria: availability of food resources, water and shade.

Read about the diet of elephants in the article.

Where does the Indian elephant live?

Indian The elephant was distributed throughout South Asia. IN wild environment he lived along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers all the way to the Malay Peninsula. Some herds were even found near the Himalayas and along the Yangtze River in China. In addition to mainland Asia, elephants lived on the islands of Sumatra, Sri Lanka and Java.

Now Asiatic the elephant is found in the wild only partially in North-East and South India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia (Borneo), Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia (Sumatra), China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei and Laos.

Elephants or (Elephantidae) - family of mammals of the order Proboscidea. Known from the Upper Miocene - Lower Pliocene equatorial Africa. Then elephants spread widely in Africa, penetrated into Eurasia and North America. Towards the end of the Pleistocene, the range of elephants declined sharply. Modern elephants survive only in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia.
Morphology
From the bosom - large animals: body height at the shoulders. Length up to 4-4.5 m, weight up to 5 (rarely up to 7.5) tons, females are smaller than males; dwarf forms are found. The African elephant is larger than the Indian elephant.
The organ of touch, smell (well developed) and grasping is the movable trunk. Cheek teeth are replaced with new ones as they wear away (teeth change 6 times throughout life). Strongly developed second upper incisors (tusks) have constant growth.
Ecology
Elephants live 70-80 years, reach sexual maturity at 10-20 years, pregnancy is 22-24 months. They give birth to one calf weighing about 100 kg. Herbivores. In search of food, they make long journeys (up to 100 km per day), can move freely in thickets and swamps, easily climb steep mountain slopes, and swim well.
They live in family groups (about 10 females with calves), males stay alone or form bachelor herds. At high population densities, herds form (sometimes several tens or even hundreds of individuals), including a large number of family groups and single elephants.
Modern views. In the modern fauna, the family is represented by two genera: in one - 2, in the second - 1 species. The African elephant (Loxodonta africana), with two subspecies, lives primarily in the planted savanna of eastern and southern Africa. Forest elephant (L. cyctolis) - mainly in the tropical rainforests of West Africa. The range and numbers of African elephants are declining due to habitat destruction and poaching for their tusks (ivory), resulting in the destruction of about 70,000 animals each year, according to the IUCN. Over the past 100 years, the population has decreased by almost 2 million.
Modern species of elephants are included in the same family Elephantidae and are the only modern representatives order of proboscis (they are called proboscis due to their main feature- trunk).
And DNA research and anatomical features showed that the closest living relatives of elephants are sirens - dugongs and manatees. It has recently become clear that elephants and sirenians are part of a taxon that also includes hyraxes, tenrecs, goldenrods, elephant shrews (whose long nose evolved independently of elephants) and aardvarks. Together, these dissimilar animals form the superorder Afrotheria. It is believed that they originated in Africa from common ancestor about 70 million years ago.
The oldest representatives. About 165 fossil species of proboscis have been recognized. Most of the early remains of proboscis, which are 40-60 million years old, are found in northern Africa, and several of them probably led an amphibious lifestyle. Merytherium may have fed aquatic plants, like a modern hippopotamus, and had a similar structure. Research suggests that elephants have retained some traits from a distant semi-aquatic ancestor. These are the internal testicles, embryonic kidney structures called nephrostomy, and the structure respiratory system. However, the statement that the trunk arose as a suction device is most likely incorrect.
In the early Oligocene, 30-36 million years ago, paleomastodon and fiomia had a similar appearance to the modern elephant, increased body size (shoulder height up to 2 m), clear upper and lower canines, and a short trunk. They probably ate tall plants in the wooded area. Specific adaptive complex characteristic features elephants developed throughout the entire course of proboscis evolution. The body, which grew to massive proportions, supported a huge gut for digesting large quantities of stale, low-growing vegetation. Massive molars and heavy tusks are supported by a very large head, which is mounted on a very short neck, thereby easing the problem of neck mobility. But with a head raised high above the ground, a short neck and heavy fangs, feeding by mouth (especially low-growing plants) would be difficult, hence the appearance of the trunk.
Three large ivory branches have been recognized among remains from the last ca. 4 million. These are Elephas and its relatives (including the Asian elephant), loxodonta (including the African elephant) and mammoths (Mammuthus) (including the hairy mammoth, which should not be confused with the distant but similar-named proboscis Mammut. American mastodon.
Formation modern species. Today, the Savannah or Bush elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) is common in western and south africa, while Loxodonta cyclotis inhabits most of central and western Africa. The anatomical difference between them is very noticeable. In the savannah elephant, the body is larger, the muscles are more developed, the ears are triangular and very large, the tusks are massive and curved outward and forward, and the back is saddle-shaped. U forest elephant the body is smaller and more compact, the ears are large and rounded, the tusks are narrow, long, pointing down, the back is straighter.
Between these two species there is a clear difference in the structure of the skull and the anatomy of the mandible. The genetic difference between them is even greater Asian elephant. There are differences in habits, food acquisition, group behavior and communication.
Elephant- a symbol of moderation, compassion, eternity, supreme power. In Thailand, Cambodia and Burma, the white elephant has become a symbol of fertility and rainfall.
In India, the white elephant is considered the incarnation of Ganesha (the elephant-headed god), the god of wisdom, happiness and literature, and symbolizes the taming of passions, as Ganesha holds his own trunk in his hand. In addition, the elephant symbolizes strength and longevity. The elephant is the mount of Indian rulers and the Hindu god of thunder and rain, Indra. The elephant symbolized the qualities necessary for good ruler- dignity, prudence, intelligence and peacefulness.
For Buddhists, the elephant is a symbol of spiritual knowledge and stability. The Maya ruler learned about the birth of her son, the future Buddha, in prophetic dream, in which a white elephant entered her.

As a symbol of wisdom, the elephant was an attribute of the ancient Roman god Mercury.

Interesting things about elephants

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