Elephants Facts Behind | Elephant Life Structure | How do elephants help the forest?

Behind Elephants Facts | Elephant Life Structure

Elephant Life

Elephants are big animals live in Africa and India. Elephants have long trunks and bodies covered in thick hair. Their largest tusks are at the front of their heads. Elephants use these tusks to fight each other and defend themselves.

An elephant is a wild Asian mammal that lives in family groups called herds. Male elephants are known as bulls, female elephants are called cows, young females are called calves, and males who have not yet reached sexual maturity are called juvenile male elephants. Elephants weigh between 11-20 tones (14-28 short tons) and can live around 70 years. Their lifespan varies depending on their size, location, diet, age, environment, and genetics.

Herd Structure

Herds of elephants are led by a matriarchal female - sometimes referred to as the matriarch', but the term matriarch' is often applied only to larger herds or families. Adult females lead the herd and are supported by matrilineal kin, including mothers, daughters, sisters, nieces, granddaughters, nephews, and occasionally cousins. When an adult female dies her position is taken over by the eldest daughter in the matriline, who then assumes leadership of the entire herd. Other females may take turns leading the herd if no single female is capable of doing so. However, this occurs less frequently than in humans where the oldest son would normally inherit his mother's position and hence leadership of the family.

Social Groups

The social structure of elephants is based on kinship, rather than age. Kinship is defined as 'a tie of relationship between persons that is recognized by society'. Among elephants, males are seen as members of a group distinct from the females. There are two primary types of social groups in elephants. These groups share a high degree of interaction between each other, but they also maintain separate territories, and thus, do not intermingle regularly. Within these two groups are smaller subgroups, formed by individuals related to each other by blood, descent, or marriage.

Reproduction

Female elephants reproduce at about 26 years of age, while males reach reproductive maturity at around 18. After mating, the gestation period lasts anywhere from six months to two years. Females deliver their offspring either naturally or assisted by others in the herd. Newborn elephants weigh approximately 130 kg (290 lb), and are blind, deaf, and helpless. The first instinct of newborn elephants is to suckle milk from their mothers, and after several months of nursing, they begin to eat solid food.

How long are elephants pregnant?

• African Elephants: 22 months
• Asian Elephants: 18 to 22 months

Reason for the decrease in the number of elephants

Human population

The decline of the elephant population is due mainly to habitat loss and poaching. While the African savannah has been reduced to one-fifth of its original area, poaching is still high. Poaching is done by people who kill elephants for their ivory tusks. The illegal trade of ivory has recently become widespread in Africa where poachers slaughter elephants at alarming rates. In Tanzania alone, for example, 90% of the country's elephants have already died off.

Climate change

Climate change is another factor leading to the decline of the elephant population. Warmer weather disrupts the food chain of plants and animals, causing some species to migrate out of their habitats. Animals that rely on water to survive may not find enough to drink. The hotter temperatures mean less rainfall, making it harder for land animals to get the water they need for survival. When an animal dies of dehydration, it becomes easier for scavengers to feast on its carcass. As a result, fewer elephants remain.

Hunting

Hunting is also a major cause of elephant deaths. Hunters kill elephants for their ivory and meat, killing many animals just for sport. Hunting kills both male and female elephants, and even babies. Even though hunters shoot only adult males, many females still die because they are forced to carry heavy burdens while travelling long distances.

Elephant Facts

• Pachyderm - An elephant's trunk is longer than its legs. Its body is covered in thick hair. Their bodies have been known to weigh up to 10 tons. The largest animals ever recorded were African elephants. These weighed between 22-28 tons.
• Social Hierarchy - Elephants are social creatures. They communicate using various gestures and calls, and cooperate socially. On average, the oldest female is leader, followed by her daughter, son, brothers, sisters, mother, father, cousins, nephews, nieces, grandfather, grandmother, great-grandfather, and great-grandmother.
• Mating Season - Males fight in the mating season. This lasts three weeks. During this time, males do not eat, drink, sleep, or use their trunks. The fighting stops once the females arrive at estrus. At this point, the male begins eating and drinking again. He may also begin copulating with the females. Females continue to mate until they become pregnant.
• Elephants Can Hear - Elephants hear sounds ranging from 30-160 decibels. They cannot hear sounds above 100dB. Most humans hear around 20dB, and most dogs only hear between 55-70dB.
• Elephants Sleep More Than 12 Hours Per Day - While sleeping, elephants get up to three times per night to defecate, urinate, shake off dirt, and groom themselves.
• Elephant Teeth Grow Up To 36 Teeth - Compared to other land mammals, elephants' teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. As teeth wear down, they grow back stronger.
• Elephant Trunk Is Used For Many Things - The elephant's trunk is used for smelling, touching, feeling, tasting, manipulating objects, picking things up, blowing things out, carrying items, stretching, greeting others, listening, waving, showing affection, smelling, playing, knocking things over, cleaning, getting help, collecting food, grooming, smelling, spraying water, and swatting bugs.
• Elephants Have Very Large Ears - The ears of an adult elephant are approximately 4 feet long. The longest ear on record was 18 inches long.
• Elephants Never Forget - Adult elephants have been observed remembering people who helped them in the past.
• Elephants Can Recognize Each Other By Touching Trunks - Elephants recognize each other by touching their trunks. This is how they greet, touch, pat, kiss, hug, and play.
• Elephants Are Friendly Towards Humans - Elephants show compassion towards humans, including family members. They can remember human faces and names. They will respond to these humans if they are hungry.

Some more information about elephants

Elephant's Trunk

Elephants have trunks that can reach up to 30 feet long, and they use them not just for smelling things, but also for digging and moving around their habitat. Their trunks also play a major role in their diet. Elephants eat plants and roots, along with insects and small animals. In return, they spread seeds around their environment, making it easier for trees and plants to thrive.

Elephant Teeth

The tusks of elephants are extremely useful tools. Not only does the elephant use its tusk to dig holes and eat, but it also uses them to fight off predators and protect itself. Its tusks are sharp enough to cut through bone and even pierce through thick skin. But contrary to popular belief, tusks aren't strong enough to kill a human being, but rather are meant to knock people down or cause pain.

Elephant's Nose

Like the trunk, the nose of an elephant is used for many purposes. Not only does the nose help the elephant smell food, but it also helps keep the elephant cool in the hot, tropical climate where it lives. It also keeps the elephant's nostrils clear of dirt and debris while maintaining a constant temperature inside.

Elephant Footpads

The footpad of an elephant is used in various ways. The pads themselves are used to keep the elephant grounded as well as cushioning the elephant's weight. When the elephant walks, it puts pressure on its footpads to prevent excess movement, thus reducing strain on the legs.

Elephant Poop

You might think that pooping on the ground would spread germs around, but that isn't always the case. Some species of elephants will actually take their poop and bury it nearby, either in a hole or under a tree. This way, if any hungry predator comes near, the poop is hidden away, keeping the area safe.

Elephant Skull

The skull of an elephant is called the "elephant's head". While elephants have a lot of similarities to humans, they are not related at all. An elephant's brain is about the size of our entire human body, while our brains are only the size of a walnut. Elephants have been known to live for over 60 years compared to humans who generally live for just 40-50 years. However, elephants do share some traits with us including intelligence, memory, and emotion. Humans don't have any unique characteristics besides being bipedal. We also have opposable thumbs and are able to feel pain.

Elephant Skull Pattern

The skull pattern is composed of three parts, namely the dome, vault, and parietal bone. These bones make up about half of the skull of an elephant. When these bones fuse together to form the skull, they create a solid structure.

Skull Size

An elephant's head is larger than a human's head due to their need for space and the fact that elephants have longer legs than humans. The jaw line of an elephant is a little bit different from humans as well. A human has two jaws, whereas an elephant has three.

Skull Shape

The shape of the skull varies depending on what species of elephant is being discussed. There are four types of skulls, including the proboscis, broad, flat, and long faces. In addition to the type of face, the width of the nose varies as well. The proboscis face is the narrowest, followed by the flat face. Finally, the long face has the widest nose. On average, the proboscis face is about 6 inches wide, the flat face is 8 inches wide, and the long face is 10 inches wide.

Elephant Sight

Elephants hear best with the help of their trunks. An elephant's eyesight works well even in low light conditions.

Elephant Intelligence

Elephant's intelligence is something we humans often find hard to grasp. But we know they have emotions, feelings and thoughts just like us! They have no fear, they do not hate, they love unconditionally and their memory is incredible. They remember the past, the present and the future. In fact elephants have been known to retain memories for a lifetime, even after being separated from their mothers at birth. The elephant brain is about 1/10th the size of our own and yet it holds 20 times our capacity for learning.

How do elephants help the forest?

Elephants help a lot in growing forests. Elephants often consume large amounts of plants and their seeds daily, excreting the undigested seeds in the ingested plants through their faeces, elephant faeces are rich in phosphorus, so the seeds grow well and fertilise the land, elephants travel far and wide to increase forest cover.