Fun Facts

The African elephant is the largest living land animal and to go along with that title, the also have the largest brain weighing up to a whopping 12 pounds (Heimbuch, 2021)! Talk about big brain things. 

 

Elephant tusks never stop growing, so enormous tusks can be a sign of an old elephant (Heimbuch, 2021). Both male and female African elephants grow tusks and only male Asian elephant grow theirs (Heimbuch, 2021). A tuskless Asian elephant signifies a female. 

​

Elephants spend about 12-18 hours eating grass, plants and fruits everyday ("Elephant Facts Need to Know")! And I thought I ate a lot! 

​

All that eating means A LOT of poop! One elephant can create about 1 ton of poop a week, which keeps the soil fertile and disperses tree seeds ("Six Elephant Fun Facts").

​

Elephants that experience tragedies such as seeing a member of their herd killed by poachers can show signs of PTSD ("Amazing Facts About Elephants"). Calves orphaned by poachers also show signs of PTSD years later ("Amazing Facts About Elephants"). 

​

It is essential for calves to spend time with their elders because all information necessary for survival is passed down from the matriarchs ("Top Elephant Facts"). The matriarch of the herd carries the knowledge of previous generations ("Top Elephant Facts"). 

​

African elephants have ears the shape of Africa, now you can tell the difference between Asian and African elephants ("Elephant Facts Need to Know")! 

​

Not only can elephants swim, but they have been seen using their trunks as snorkels in deep waters ("Top 10 Elephant Facts"). They have enough bouncy to float and use their power legs to paddle ("Top 10 Elephant Facts").

​

Elephant herds are very close. Although they cannot hug each other, elephants wrap their trunks around each other as a form of embrace ("Top 10 Elephant Facts"). As a form of greeting, they entwine their trunks together ("Top 10 Elephant Facts"). How cute!

​

Elephants are able to learn and feel emotions. If a member of their herd is injured or passed, they will grieve over them ("Six Elephant Fun Facts"). Researchers have even observed elephants making repeated visits to the deceased, attempting to assist the dead animal and calling out for help ("Six Elephant Fun Facts").They also demonstrated 'targeted helping' where they coordinate with each other to help a sick member of the herd ("Six Elephant Fun Facts").

​

A biologist at Stanford University found that the lower frequency vocalizations and foot stomping resonated at a frequency that  other elephants could detect through the ground ("Top 10 Elephant Facts"). Sensitive nerve endings on the soles of their feet allows elephants to pick up infrasonic messages ("Top 10 Elephant Facts"). 

​

Female elephants have the longest pregnancy of any mammal, lasting up to 22 months ("Top Elephant Facts")! 

​

Baby elephants stay with their mother up until the age of 10 ("Elephant Facts Need to Know"). They even learn to eat by putting their trunks in their mothers' mouths to take food ("Elephant Facts Need to Know"). 

​

Did you know that elephants can get sunburned? To prevent themselves from getting burnt, elephants give themselves mud and dust baths ("Six Elephant Fun Facts").

​

Elephants can make sounds so low that even humans cant hear them ("Top Elephant Facts"). These animals are able to recognize over 100 different friends from just their calls alone ("Top Elephant Facts")! 

​

In Mount Elgon, Kenya, there are a group of elephants that use their tusks for mining salts in underground caves ("Six Elephant Fun Facts"). They feel around for the salts and eat them as a snack ("Six Elephant Fun Facts"). Talk about taste!

​

Elephants never forget, they have the ability remember distant watering holes, other elephants, and other humans they have encountered ("Amazing Facts About Elephants"). Seems like you never want to get on the bad side of an elephant or they'll hold it against you forever!

​

These animals are also able to distinguish languages. A group of researchers played back the voices of hunters and group that does not("Six Elephant Fun Facts") . The group of elephants reacted defensively towards the group that preys on elephants ("Six Elephant Fun Facts"). Researchers also found that they responded with less intensity towards female and younger male voices, becoming agitated at the voices of adult males ("Six Elephant Fun Facts").

​

Elephants live and travel in groups led by a matriarch female who tends to be an older and experienced member of the herd ("Elephant Facts Need to Know"). Males on the other hand, are exiled from the herd when they reach sexual maturity and roam alone when not breeding ("Elephant Facts Need to Know")

​

​