Elephant Facts

Get to know elephants a little bit better with some interesting facts you may not know about these magnificent pachyderms.

They also have the largest brains, weighing between 4.5 and 5.5 kg.
The elephant skull has several air pockets to make its head lighter. Without these, it would be too heavy to lift.
Elephants flap their ears as a way of cooling down their bodies.
Elephants' trunks are extensions of their upper lips, with 50,000 interlaced muscles, making them incredibly strong and sensitive.
Elephants breathe through their trunks 80% of the time.
Most elephants have 18 toenails (five on front feet, four on back feet).
Elephants’ sweat glands are between their toenails.

Like humans, elephants are born with their eyes full-grown.
Elephants have a very similar brain structure to humans, including a complex hippocampus that enables keen memory.
Elephants rely on social bonds, starting with the survival skills they learn from their mothers.
Herds work together to raise and look out for their young, further bonding the family group.
Elephants can live up to 80 years old, having a very similar lifespan to humans.

Elephants live in large matriarchal herds.
Elephants regurgitate water from their stomachs and use their trunks to spray their bodies for cooling.
They use their trunks as snorkels while swimming.
Elephants can small up to 9 km away, drink up to 60 gallons per day, and are amazing swimmers.
The trunk is used to smell, communicate, pick up small objects like a grain of rice, lift heavy items, show affection, and defend themselves.
They eat for 18-20 hours per day and consume 200 different types of grass, leaves, trees, and fruit.

The Differences Between Thai and African Elephants.

The ears of Asian elephants are smaller and shaped like India.
Their trunks only have one finger that they use to pick up items.
Their skin is fairly smooth.
Females do not have tusks, but some have tushes which are large incisor teeth.
Some males have tusks if they have the gene, this makes up only 7% of male Asian elephants.

African elephant ears are larger and shaped like Africa.
Their trunks have two fingers that they use to pick up items.
The skin of African elephants is dark and wrinkled.
Both males and females have tusks.
African elephants are much larger and heavier than Asian elephants.
They are also harder to train and therefore less susceptible to being used for tourism.