Elephants - Photos - Pictures

Elephants - Photos - Description

The trunk is a very unique and multipurpose organ. It has no bones and consists of only flesh and muscle. African elephants have two 'fingers' on the tip of the trunk. A complicated arrangement of muscles allows elephants to move their trunks in thousands of manners and directions. The animals are capable of lifting heavyweight stones and logs and picking up small coin-sized objects.

The elephant can reach far and deep into not easily accessible places. An elephant can use its trunk as a shower and as a snorkel. On some occasions, the trunk becomes a weapon. By way of moving the trunk, elephants can also express various emotions. Thus, by beating heavily on the ground, they give vent to their anger or ward off an enemy.

Elephants have wonderful incisor teeth, also referred to as 'tusks'. The growth of the tusks continues throughout the entire life. After 1 year from birth, milk tusks fall out and permanent tusks start growing. The tusks serve as a good weapon in struggling against enemies or competitor males during mating periods. Males' tusks are thicker and longer than females'. Ivory tusks have always been a matter of great interests to man for their high value.

Elephants have thick soles on each leg. That allows them to soften the plod and to reduce the noise and damage to the soil. It is interesting, that elephants do not leave noticeable traces on the ground. They also have toes on each leg.

Elephants - Photos - Differences

The two species have different dentitions. Asian elephants have peculiar ridges of molar teeth. Those of Africans are scarcer. African elephants have 4 toes on their front legs and only 3 on the hind legs. Asians have 5 on the front- and 4 on the hind legs. Both species are well protected against predators (tigers, cheetahs etc.) by their tremendous size and thick skin. Predators in most cases stalk young elephants when they are left unsupervised.

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