Elephants are fascinating animals. African elephants live in grasslands and forests and Asian elephants live in grasslands, rain forests and swamps. Elephants are very social animals and generally travel in a herd but the herd is made up of females and children. When male elephants are old enough, they are forced away from the herd. Elephants have the largest brain of any land mammal and can figure out ways to get what they want. Elephants show emotions too. They are sad when an elephant dies and joyful when greeting one another.







Elephants have thick skin but it’s also very sensitive. The deep wrinkles hold moisture which helps keep them cool in the sun. Elephants love to roll in the mud too. It protects them from sunburn and insect bites. An elephant’s trunk contains more than 100,000 muscles which allow the trunk to act like a hand, a nose, a trumpet and a hose. Elephants can pull a tree apart with their trunk or pluck a single blade of grass. Why not visit the library and check out some elephant books to learn more.










Did You Know?

The nostrils on the tip of the elephant’s trunk can smell water 12 miles away.

Elephants eat 300-600 pounds of food and drink 30-50 gallons of water a day.

Elephants weigh 250-320 pounds at birth and grow to weigh up to 15,000 pounds.

Elephants sleep for 1-4 hours each night. They usually sleep lying on their sides and you may hear them snoring.


Websites:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/african-elephant/

http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/elephant

http://www.clemetzoo.com/africanelephantcrossing/





Learn more from these books:

• Elephants by Duncan Searl (j599.67 Sea)

• Project Elephant by Susan Ring (j599.67 Rin)

• Elephant Book by Ian Redmond (j599.674 Red)