- herds of elephants are led by an older female, called the matriarch
- gestation period lasts for 19-22 months
- they cannot survive more than 24 hours without drinking water
- elephants can walk almost noiselessly because of the soft cushions on the undersides of their feet
- they can "run" 40km/hour - faster than the most rapid human athletes
- elephants can communicate through infrasounds, produced by a membrane located in the forehead
- their trunks contain 40,000 muscles and tendons
- they have wrinkled skin because it helps retain water, and helps keep the animal cool
- largest of all land mammals
- can live up to 70 years
- they spend about 16 hours a day eating
- their tusks are made of ivory and are actually enlarged incisors
- will grieve over dead companions (stillborn babies, loved ones) and have been known to pause, sometimes for several minutes, in the area where a loved one passed away
feb 14 2012 ∞
jan 8 2013 +