Tag: elephants

Elephant Trivia Part 2

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

Elephants have some unique and interesting physical properties in addition to their immense size. These properties have evolved over millions of years into the amazing creature we know today. Consider the following:

Look at the large pad on the bottom of their front leg. This feature serves to distribute their weight so they do not sink in soft ground and provides a cushion as they walk. It will retract somewhat when they lift their leg so it breaks the suction from walking on muddy ground.

An elephants ears do much more than detect sounds. Their primary function is to radiate heat from their body. The ears are filled with capillaries which carry heat from the body so it is dispelled into the air. The ears also give evidence as to the elephants state of agitation. A nervous elephant will shake its head or rapidly flap their ears if they are apprehensive about something. They will also hold their ears out wide to make themselves look larger.

Certainly one of the most striking features are the tusks which protrude from their face. They are both a tool and a weapon. A tusk is a modified incisor tooth and grows throughout their life although it can be worn down from use. Elephants are right or left handed just like humans and the worn tusks tells you which. Unfortunately they are also the cause of hundreds of thousands of elephant being slaughtered for their ivory in order to be sold into the Asian market to make trinkets, jewelry and statues. The poaching of elephants for their ivory is responsible for the fact that there are less than 50 old ‘Tuskers’ left with massive tusks which were once a common sight in Africa.

A right handed elephant
One of the few super tuskers left

The trunk is a most useful appendage for an elephant. They eat with it, drink with it, smell with it, trumpet with it, and greet other elephants with it. Their sense of smell is four times greater than that of a bloodhound. They will use it to siphon up water to spray over their body or to give themselves a dust bath to protect their sensitive skin. It contains over 100,000 individual muscles which makes it both very strong and yet flexible. The prehensile tip can pick up something as small as a peanut and are able to crack the shell without breaking the nut inside.

ELEPHANT TRIVIA

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

There are two species of elephants on earth today. The African elephant and the Asian elephant. They are genetically different but easy to identify just by looking at their head and ears. For the most part however they share the same traits and abilities so we can consider them as one species. Zoologists break down the African elephant into two sub species, the bush or savannah elephant which lives in more open areas and the forest elephant which lives in jungle or wooded locations. Once again however we can really consider them as one species.

African elephant
Asian elephant

Elephants are the largest land animals alive on earth today. A mature African bull elephant can stand 13 ft tall at the shoulder and weigh upwards of 7 tons. It is difficult to appreciate just how big they are unless you are up close to them or you see them next to a familiar object.

Elephants live on average to between 60 and 70 years of age. They have 5 to 6 sets of molars in their jaws with which they use to grind their food. As the ones in the front wear down and fall out the ones in the rear move forward to replace them. When the last set is gone they can no longer properly feed themselves and basically die of starvation. Sadly elephants kept in zoos die at around 40 years of age. Elephants are hard wired to move about and travel freely and they need the social interaction with other elephants. The stress of captivity significantly shortens their life. Remember this when you see an elephant at a zoo.

Close up of an wide open elephant mouth. It shows anatomic details of the elephant throat like its teeth, tongue and the roof of the mouth

Elephants are right or left handed just like humans. You can tell by observing which tusk is worn down more than the other.

Left handed elephant
Right handed elephant

The saying that ‘An elephant never forgets’ is very true as they have amazing memories. Their brain is 4-5 times larger than a human’s, is very similar in construction and much of it is dedicated to memory. They navigate long distances by remembering the directions and trails they have taken in the past. They remember the location of waterholes and can recognize individual elephants they’ve had a relationship with in the past.

They can remember the location of fruit trees and when the fruit will ripen and fall to the ground. Elephants routinely push over small trees to get at the tops to eat the leaves. They don’t do this with fruit trees however, as they have learned that if they do that the tree will never again bear fruit again. So they butt the tree with their head or grab it with their trunk and shake the fruit loose. They eat what falls to the ground and return later to do it again.

Elephants don’t sweat but need to disperse heat from their large bodies. An elephant’s ears are filled with many blood vessels and act as radiators to keep the elephant cool.

Stay tuned for a post about some of the elephant’s physical properties.

TOAST

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

By Nic Polenakis

There are few places on earth where one can walk with wild elephants. Mana Pools in northern Zimbabwe is one such place.
 
When approaching elephant bulls while walking, it is important to remain downwind undetected (the elephant’s scent is blowing towards you) as most animals are instinctively fearful of man on foot.

Some bulls in Mana Pools can be extremely relaxed and accepting of humans. The trick is finding out which ones are ‘friendly’!

I was walking with some of my guests when I spotted this young elephant bull eating fallen pods from a winter thorn tree. This tree has extremely nutritious, protein-rich pods and are sought after by many animals in Mana, especially elephant. 

We slowly approached to within a safe distance, where I purposely now allowed our scent to waft upwind toward the elephant! I didn’t want to surprise him. Elephants have an incredible sense of smell and could have picked up our scent from a huge distance away. I watched for his reaction. This is a simple way of gauging how receptive an elephant is to one’s presence.

It was at this time that I recognized the young bull as an elephant we called Toast — named after his habit of stealing toast off the camps’ breakfast tables! And I knew him well as a very calm bull.

I decided it was safe for us to edge ever closer to him. It was breathtaking as we stood under a tree and watched as he calmly walked around picking up the pods unperturbed by our presence.

As he ambled around the tree he slowly made his way towards us. This is when I placed myself in front of my guests. I then stood next to some of the delicious pods and knew he would soon approach, of which he did not disappoint!

Toast walked closer and closer and looked at me carefully, trying to ensure I was a friend and not a foe. After a few tense moments, he walked even closer till he stood right in front of me! Then he continued eating the pods.

He stood with me for some time investigating my scent with his trunk — and then suddenly turned and continued his search for more pods.

You can see why I love elephants. Their intelligence for sizing up a situation never ceases to amaze me.

Nic Polenakis
Safari Guide and Elefence trustee

Elefence addendum: Nic is a certified professional guide who was named by National geographic as one of the top ten safari guides in Africa. He has the uncanny ability to read wildlife, especially elephants, which is how he is able to get so close as pictured above. He is not a hunter, but is required to carry a rifle in order to protect his clients in an emergency. Check his website http://www.myprivateafrica.com

The Language of Elephants

On By Jon StevensonLeave a comment

By Jon Stevenson & Dick Houston

At one time there was a theory put forth that elephants were telepathic. They seemed to be able control their actions when they could not see one another and neither did they make any noise. A herd would be spread out foraging when they would all stop and come together and move off in one direction. If there was a predator in the area they would gather and circle their babies to protect them. Well, we know now that they are not telepathic but they do communicate in ways we are only recently beginning to understand.

When Paula and I were on safari with Dick a few years ago, we were in a blind watching a small group of bulls at a water hole. We were within 15-20 feet of them which was exciting on its own but we could hear this low rumbling coming from different individuals. I asked our guide if that was their stomach growling and he replied “No, they are talking to one another”. I have learned since that elephant researchers have recorded these sounds and when played back they noted a reaction from specific individuals. They conclusion was that the sounds made related to a specific individual much like calling our someone’s name to a group.

Elephants are also known to communicate seismically – vibrations produced by impacts upon the earth. Foot stomping or false charges produce tremors which can be felt by other elephants up to 20 miles away.

Surprisingly, elephants produce Ultra Low Frequency sounds that are below the range of human hearing. ULF sounds can travel long distances, up to 10 miles under the right conditions, both through the air as well as the ground. Other elephants can hear and interpret these sounds. Researchers have used special equipment to record these ULF sounds and have logged over 100 different sounds and combination of sounds made by elephants. We don’t know what they are saying yet, but there is no doubt that elephants do communicate.