Elephant
Elena Lehner Period 8 5/16/2016
Habitat
Elephants are found in multiple regions, such as forests, savannas, and rainforests. They are spread throughout certain areas of Asia and Africa. The Asian elephant, one of the two common types of elephants, is found in India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Southern China, and other countries (Elephants: Proboscidea). African elephants inhabit regions below the Sahara desert in Africa (elephant, The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). In order for an elephant to call an area its home, it must contain lots of different plants to eat, water that is about a day's journey away at the most, and lots of room to move with no humans close by. Elephants can knock down trees to make open, grassy area (Elephants: Proboscidea). Elephants are great swimmers. They not only take baths and play in the water, but wade into lakes or ponds to cool off when temperatures are high (Room for an Elephant).
Movement
Body Covering
Diet
Reproduction
Female elephants are able to reproduce around thirteen and fourteen (Elephants: Proboscidea). Male elephants, or bulls, are adults by around thirteen (Elephant). Behind each eye, male elephants have a temporal gland that can become bigger or release a dark, strong-smelling liquid and stains the skin on its face (Elephant). This lasts for 2 to 3 months each year for bulls around twenty-five and is called musth. Captive males can become dangerous during this period of sexual excitement (Elephant). Musth occurs when bulls make more testosterone, a male hormone. Females usually mate will males in musth rather than ones not in musth since the aggressive bulls can defend them (Elephant). The gestation of the female elephant is 22 months. This means the calf will be born during rainy weather, when lots of plants grow, giving plentiful food for both the calf and the cow (Elephants: Proboscidea). Other females help deliver the baby as the cow gives birth standing up (Elephants: Proboscidea). Within an hour or so, the calf will already be standing and learning to walk (Elephants: Proboscidea). The baby curls its trunk upward to nurse and keeps nursing until it is about three or four months old (Elephant).
Adaptations
Other Info
- Elephants are the largest living land animal (Elephant)
- Adult elephants' skin can reach up to 3 centimeters thick (Elephants: Proboscidea)
- Elephants have just four molars (Elephant 2)
- Newborn elephants usually weigh about 200 to 265 pounds (Elephants: Proboscidea)
- Female elephants, cows, give birth to around 5 to 21 calves in their life (Elephant)
- Elephants are an endangered species due to poaching for ivory from their tusks, skin for leather, and their meat (Elephants: Proboscidea)
- 16 hours of an elephant's day is used to eat (Elephant)
- The elephant is the last species left of the order Proboscidea (Elephant 2)
- An adult's skin can reach up to 3 centimeters thick (Elephant)
- Elephants are pachyderms. Pachyderms comes from the Greek word for thick-skinned (Elephant)
Works Cited
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