ELEPHANTS

Elephants vary from greyish to brown in colour, and the little body hair they have is coarse. They have a complex social system and live in small groups led by mature female elephants (cows). The female offspring stay with the cows for life, but the young males only remain until puberty. At this stage, they usually move away and join bachelor herds, but some do remain solitary. 

Larger herds occur where food is plentiful.
Mature male elephants (bulls) go into musth annually, a condition indicated by secretions from the temporal or musth glands between the eyes and ears, and increased agressive behaviour. They seek out cows in oestrus, for mating. Bulls often fight during this period, the result of which can be fatal.

The average gestation period is 22 months. Females can remain fertile for up to 60 years. Cows are protective mothers and older siblings also care for the young. As well as suckling like other mammals, elephant calves eat their parents' dung. This is common in many herbivores and is done to establish symbiotic bacteria in the gut, necessary to break down cellulose in tough vegetation.

Both species have enlarged incisor teeth that grow into tusks, but these are rudimentary in the female Asian elephant. The life span of elephants constrained by its teeth, the last set of which is worn down after about sixty years. Few elephants live beyond this age.

The long, muscular trunk is used for breathing, eating and drinking. 
They suck up water in the trunk and squirt it into the mouth, and uses the finger-like extensions on the end of the trunk to pick up food. 

African elephants have two extensions, Asian elephants only have one. 

Much of the time is spent eating, and they can consume more than 225kg of food in one day.

Communication is by sound, either vocally or by stamping on the ground. 

Hearing and eyesight are not very good in elephants compared to their powerful sense of smell. Both species live in a wide range of habitats, from savannah to dense jungle, migrating seasonally in search of food and water. Habitat range varies enormously from 15-1000 square kilometres dependent on the season, food availability and freedom of movement.

The elephant is only one of four mammals that are known to use tools. 

There are nine types of observed tool use, most of which are used for body care. An elephant will hold a leafy branch in its trunk and swat flies from its body. Elephants in captivity have been seen to scratch behind the ears with a carrot, and others have been seen to throw 'missiles' at birds stealing their food.

Adult elephants are too large to be vulnerable to natural predators, but big cats have been known to take calves. Both species are under pressure from human persecution and habitat destruction.

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