10 Surprising Facts About Elephants
Elephants are one of the most fascinating creatures in the world. They are smart, compassionate and exhibit a variety of emotions. They have been known to mourn their dead herd members.
There are 3 surviving species of elephants: African savanna elephant, African forest elephant and Asian elephant. They are the largest land animals. They have large ears that are shaped like Africa and can use their trunks as snorkels when swimming!
1. They are the largest land mammals
Despite their size, elephants are gentle giants that care for their young and help maintain their habitat. However, their numbers are declining due to human-caused threats like the ivory trade and habitat loss.
They can communicate through sound, body language and scent. Research has shown that elephants can sense seismic signals – sounds that create vibrations in the ground.
They are matriarchal, meaning they live in female-led groups with their young. Adult males, called bulls, tend to roam on their own or join smaller all-male groups. Their feet have a pad of fat that acts as a shock absorber, protecting their legs and toes from jarring under their weight. Baby elephants lose their first set of tusks, and all but some adult male Asian elephants are tuskless. They can remember where a watering hole is, or even the exact location of food.
2. They are one of the most intelligent animals
Elephants are widely regarded as one of the world’s most intelligent animals. They show complex emotions such as compassion and grief, have long-term memories, and are known for their remarkable ability to solve problems and use tools. They have even shown signs of self-awareness, which is usually seen only in great apes and dolphins.
They communicate over vast distances using sub-sonic rumbles that travel through the ground at faster speeds than sound in air. They can also trumpet to greet family members or warn others of danger.
Their trunks have more muscles than any other mammal’s, and can be used for breathing, sniffing, touching, grasping, and producing sounds. They can even pick up small objects, such as a grain of rice. Their skin is also incredibly sensitive and can sunburn just like other hairless mammals. To protect themselves, they cover themselves in mud and dust.
3. They are the only animal that instinctively cares for their environment
Elephants are highly social animals that form close family groups and care for their young. They show compassion towards other species and have been known to mourn their dead. This is one reason why it's so important that we protect these gentle giants.
Elephant's have the largest brains of any land mammal and are considered to be highly intelligent animals. In fact, they are ranked along with dolphins and chimpanzees as the smartest mammals on the planet. They can even recognize themselves in a mirror, demonstrating self-awareness that is only shared by humans, great apes and bottlenose dolphins.
They communicate through trumpet calls, touch, body language and scent. They can also send messages over long distances by creating seismic vibrations in the ground that other elephants feel through their feet and bones. These signals can travel at alarming speeds and over huge distances.
4. They are terrified of ants and bees
We all know elephants are scared of mice, but researchers discovered that they’re also terrified of ants and bees. This is probably because ants give off a specific pheromone that elephants can detect. They have been known to destroy acacia trees with ant hives in them, and have even changed their routes to avoid hives.
And while a bee’s stinger can’t penetrate elephant skin, it can still hurt them if they get stung in sensitive areas such as their eyes, mouth and trunk. This is why they’re so afraid of bees, and will flap their ears, stir up dust, make noise and turn away when they hear the buzz of a hive. Elephants have a memory to match their intelligence, and have been shown to show compassion, empathy, tool use and self-awareness. They can even recognize themselves in a mirror!
5. They are the only animal that has a tusk
Elephants’ tusks are actually long incisor teeth that grow throughout their lives, just like humans. They use them to dig for water and roots, strip bark from trees, fight other elephants, and protect themselves from predators.
Their tusks are not only extremely strong but also very sensitive. They can feel vibrations, smell and even touch a person’s face! They can even sniff out a female in heat, thanks to special glands that emit the hormones.
Just like people, elephants can be left or right-tusked and favor their dominant tusk, which is usually smaller due to wear and tear. They also have a tusk that is less used, which they use to trumpet warnings and greet one another. They can also use infrasound to communicate over distances, just like whales, giraffes, rhinos and alligators do! They also mourn their dead in a very unique way.
6. They have a trunk
Elephants have a long, prehensile trunk, two curved tusks on either side of their face and a small tail. This elongated proboscis is used for breathing, smelling, touching and drinking. It’s also used to groom and care for young animals – a mother may even stroke her baby’s trunk as a form of comfort.
The trunk is extremely flexible and can pick up a blade of grass or branch a foot thick. It can also be used to suck water (it can hold up to eight litres) and to swim, acting like a snorkel.
The trunk has an amazing memory - elephants can remember things that happened 30 years ago. They can even distinguish between buckets containing different amounts of sunflower seeds! They can even recognise people, like zoologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton. One female herd, in fact, recognised him after four years.
7. They are the only animal to mourn their dead
One of the most touching elephant facts is that they are one of the few animals to mourn their dead. They have been known to linger beside the bodies of their deceased friends and even touch the bones with their trunks. They have also been seen to show empathy by tossing dust over the wounds of their fellow elephants and helping them climb out of holes and mud.
They also have amazing long-term memories. Research has shown that herds led by older matriarchs have a better survival rate during droughts, likely because the matriarchs can remember where they’ve found water in the past. This is despite herds travelling over countless miles. They have also been able to recognise the voices of their family members and even human visitors. They have around 100,000 muscles in their trunks.
8. They have a language
Elephants communicate with their herds using vocalizations that are outside our hearing range, called infrasound. This video of 2 elephants discussing something affectionately, without making a sound, is mesmerising to watch.
Their brains, which are 3 or 4 times larger than ours, are filled with complex memories that can span years. This is why herds can remember the locations of water holes on long migration routes. They also use their trunks like hands to drink and eat, and can even recognize themselves in mirrors.
Researchers played recordings of Maasai and Kamba voices to 47 elephant families, and observed their behaviour. The elephants bunched together more tightly when they heard Maasai men, who sometimes clash with herds over access to grazing land and water. They also swiveled their trunks in a curious way as if they were “olfactory periscopes,” sniffing the air for danger.
9. They are the only animal to have trunk-handedness
Despite being one of the largest animals on earth, elephants are incredibly nimble. Their trunks are a marvel of biomechanics that can uproot trees or gingerly pluck a single leaf, and they can trumpet at over 100 decibels. They can also use their trunks to suck up water and swim.
The massive creatures have impressive memories and can remember locations of food and water sources – even decades ago. Scientists have also found that they can recognize other elephants and even themselves in mirrors, showing self-awareness and a higher level of intelligence.
Elephants have an incredibly complex range of emotions and can show compassion, empathy and even grief when a member of their herd dies. They can even pay homage to their dead, touching their bones and tusks with their feet and trunks. Their herds can be very tense, as well, with the older members of the herd showing more dominance than younger ones.
10. They are the largest herbivores
Elephants (both African and Asian) are the largest herbivores, feeding on grass, small plants, twigs, bark, fruits, roots, and even anthills. They’re also the most intelligent land animals, displaying a wide range of emotions including compassion and grief, as well as humour, cooperation, self-awareness, tool use, and playfulness.
They’re also ambidextrous, favouring either their right or left tusk (although it will be worn down to the nub from constant use). They can tell which tusk is which by looking at it – one tusk will look shorter and more worn.
They’re also highly social creatures and form close relationships in their herds, led by a matriarch, the oldest and largest female. Herds consist of up to 15 elephants, with a linear hierarchy and a strong sense of family. They also have long memories, and elephants who witness a member of their herd being killed by poachers will display signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.
