Elephant Facts

Almost all of us know what an elephant is and it is without any doubt one of the most famous mammals on the face of earth. But there are some very interesting things about elephants that we do not know at all. So here are some really interesting facts about elephants. I am sure you will enjoy reading these. Tell us your vies about this article by commenting below.

Ears of an African elephant are at least three times the size of Asian elephant's ears.

African elephants have other good uses of their ears, than just listening. They use their ears as signaling devices and as protective devices to ward off threats. So they are not just ears, they are much more than that.

It poops around 80 pounds a day on the average.

They are known to take a great care over dead bones of their family members.

Ears are used to regulate body temperature in both African elephants as well as Asian elephants.

The elephants' surface area is small in comparison to their total mass, which makes it difficult to release excess body heat. Their large, veiny ears act like a radiator; when flapped, the blood flowing through them is cooled, helping to regulate the elephants' body temperature.

During World War II, the very first bomb dropped on Berlin by the Allies killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

Their pulse rate is 27.

The only mammal that can't jump is an elephant.

It is also the national animal of Thailand.

In a day, an elephant can drink upto 80 gallons of water.

Did you know back in 1916, an elephant was tried and hung for a murder?

An elephant can smell water three miles away.

Every elephant’s ear is unique and is often used for identification purposes (like our fingerprints).

The elastic, spongy cushions on the bottom of elephant feet act as shock absorbers and help elephants move silently.

They are able to swim for long distances.

They spend about 16 hours a day eating.

They drink by filling their trunks with water and then pouring the water into their mouths.

African elephants have two fingers on the tip of their trunks, Asians have only one finger and typically use their trunks only to scoop objects up with.

They can use their trunks for water storage, for sucking up mud and dust to cool off with, and for friendly wrestling matches.

Despite the size of ears the elephant’s hearing is poor.

A fully grown adult African elephant reaches the height of 10 - 13 feet and weigh 15,400 pounds.

A Fully grown adult Asian elephant reaches the height of 10 feet and weigh 11,000 pounds.

They can live upto 70 years.

Elephants normally walk about 4 mph.

Female elephants have a gestation period of 22 months. They give birth to a single infant referred to as a calf.

Elephants use their tusks to dig for water and roots as well as to protect from predators.

Elephants sleep mostly standing. They usually only sleep 4 to 5 hours per night.

An elephant's skin is extremely tough around most parts of its body and measures about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick.

Elephants have the largest brains in comparison to body weight than any other animal besides humans.

Elephants often take up to 18 quarts of water into their trunks at once.

The trunk has no bones. Nearly 150,000 muscles and nerves provide flexibility.