Elephants

Did You Know…

• Elephants are the largest living land mammal.
  
• They are characterized by their long trunks, thick, round legs, and large heads with big, flat ears.
  
• An elephant’s trunk is a combination of the animal’s upper lip and nose (the nostrils are found in the tip). The trunk weighs about 290 pounds in adult males and can lift about 250 kg.
  
• The trunk is essential for daily functions such as breathing, eating and drinking.
  
• Elephant tusks are made of ivory and are considered enlarged incisor teeth. Tusks protect the trunk and are also used for activities like defense, digging, lifting objects and collecting food.
  
• Elephants’ colors vary from gray to brown. They have coarse and sparse hair covering their bodies.
  
• Elephants are most likely to be found in savannas, grasslands and forests.

Edited by Katie Weise