46 Amazing Fun Facts About Elephants

Elephants are considered one of the most remarkable creatures. They are considered the biggest of all mammals living on land. Many factors of their massive anatomy are a source of amazement themselves. Sad to say, years of negative interactions with human beings have lessened the figures of these friendly giants considerably. Read on to know the best fun facts about elephants and more special fun facts about these incredible creatures and what we all can do to keep them safe and conserve their numbers.

 

Elephants are remarkable and fascinating mammals with cool and funny habits. Also, it's essential to read and increase awareness of the fact that elephant populations are dropping. Therefore, why not spend time knowing crazy-fun facts about these massive big fellows? Aside from being intelligent creatures, elephants are full of mystery with many secrets that aren't uncovered or revealed. Are you aware that elephants need sun cream just as much as human beings do? Read on and discover some more interesting facts about elephants.

 

Interesting Facts About Elephants

1. There are two species of elephants: Asain and African. Each has Subspecies.

Before we start, it might be essential to clarify and sort out all the vital questions of how many species of elephants are present. Well, there two different species of elephants; the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and the African elephant (Loxodonta). However, over decades, there have been arguments on how many types of elephants are there. The common consensus is that there are two more types of African elephants; the savannah elephants and the forest elephants. Also, there are subspecies of the Asian elephant: the Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan.

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2. Females lead families of Elephants

The social structure of elephants is very diverse to other creatures or animals since elephants are very intelligent animals. The female elephant lives in a family unit known as a herd of up to twenty-five members and led by a female. There's an apparent hierarchy generally based on experience and age. Male species typically live with the family between the age of 8 and 15. 

 

3. Elephants are the Largest Animal Living in Land

African elephants are the largest land mammal globally, with an average measurement of up to three meters high and weight of up to six tons. Male elephants reach full size at thirty-five to forty years, which is over half their years as wild species have a lifespan of sixty to seventy years old. The female African elephants are significantly smaller than the males. It is not only the adults but also the calves are enormous. A newborn elephant can weigh 120 kilograms, which is virtually 19 stone.

 

4. You Can Differentiate the Two Species through their Ears

As you read, elephants have two species; Asian and African elephants. African elephant ears are bigger than their cousins. And according to many, it looks like an African continent. On the other hand, the shape of elephants' ears from Asia has a resemblance to India'sIndia's subcontinent.

There is also a disparity in their trunks: African species have two fingers at the tip of their trunks, while Asian elephants have only one.

5. Tusks Serve As Their Teeth

Another weird fun fact about this animal is that the tusks are, in fact, enlarged incisor teeth that come out first when they are about two years of age. The tusks keep on growing all through their lives. They use their tasks to assist with eating or feeding, prising shrub or bark off bushes, defense when fighting, and digging roots. On the other hand, these impressive tusks, most of the time, cause them danger as they are made of 100 percent ivory, which is a most sought-after object. This is one reason why elephants are at risk.

 

6. Elephants Have Thick Skin

Elephant's skin has a thickness of 2.5cm. The wrinkles and the folds in the skin can sustain up to ten times more water compared to flat skins, which helps a lot in cooling them down. They also keep their skin dirt-free and stay safe from sunburn by regularly taking mud and dust baths.

 

7. They Keep on Eating

One of the many amazing funny, fun facts about elephants is that they continue ingesting. This is because they need 150 kilograms of food daily, even if half of this might leave the body undigested. Elephants consume so much, which they can spend three-quarters of their day ingesting.

 

8. Communication is done via vibrations

Elephants are known as one of the smartest animals. They communicate in so many ways, which takes account of sounds like trumpet calls. Many sounds are extremely for humans to be able to hear. They also communicate through scent, touch as well as body language. Also, they keep in touch with others through seismic signals, which sound that produce vibrations in the ground that might detect through their bones.

 

9. Newborn Elephants Are Able to Stand within Twenty Minutes after Birth

One amazing best fun fact about elephants is that the calves can stand in just a matter of twenty minutes of being born. They can walk in just a matter of one sixty minutes. And after a few days, calve can join with the herd. This fantastic survival technique signifies that herds of elephants are able to migrate to look for water and food to thrive.

 

10. Strong Memory  

The temporal lobe of these animals or the part of their brain related to memory is denser and more significant than the human being; for this reason, they have a strong memory. There is a known phrase that goes, "elephants never forget."

 

11. A Lot of African Species Are Poached 

Approximately fifty-five African elephants per day are being slaughtered due to the ivory tusks. So, a lot of African species of elephants are being packed then being born. Approximately 90 percent of African species have been eradicated in the previous year because of the ivory trade. According to the research, there are only 415,000 forest elephants living today in Africa.

On the other hand, Asian species are also in danger, having declined by 50 percent in the last decades. Research shows that just around 45,000 elephants are living in the wild. 

 

12. Trunks and Ears Telegraph Emotions

When Elephants need to communicate with others in the herd, both the ears and trunk are utilized to telegraph emotions. Once they raise their trunks, it signifies danger or excitement; making trumpeting sounds with the trunk is an indication of happiness, particularly when accompanied by flapping ears and sniffing objects along with placing the tip of the trunk in their mouth show curiosity. Like other animals such as cats, elephants also show the Flemen response once they strange scent with the use of Jacobson'sJacobson's organs, which can found at the roof of their mouth. The smell tells them who's been prowling in its territory. Once other elephants see their member with a sneer on its face, they know that an exciting thing has been discovered.

 

13. Use Ears as Air Conditioners

Not like human beings, elephants don't need a fan or air conditioner to cool themselves. They use their ears as air conditioners. The elephants' ears have a network of blood vessels, which expand during the summer season and let the heat of the body escape. Cooled blood goes back to the body, efficiently bringing the core temperature down. They thrust out their ears if they want to chill out and often face toward the succeeding winds to gain the utmost cooling effects of the passing breezes.

 

14. They Listen with their Feet and Ears

The multitasking elephant listens with its ears and feet. Once they speak, it produces a low-pitched rumbling sound, which is almost inaudible. However, that sends vibrations through the ear. Other elephants get the message through toes. These messages can travel many miles, providing herd the equivalent of the telegraph.

 

Amazing Facts About Elephants

15. Lots of Poo

As mentioned above, elephants keep on eating; this leads to lots of awful poo. Every elephant creates 1 ton of poo a week. However, their poos help in keeping the soil fertile and, at the same time, disperse tree seeds. They also dig water holes and, at the same time, make footpaths, which change the landscape around them.

 

16. They Made Their Own Sunscreen Protection

This animal has made its own sunscreen. After a swamp or river bath, they throw sand or mud up and over their body to keep their skin safe and sound from burning the blistering sun. How clever, right?

 

17. Tusks Determine Their Age

You can tell more about this animal by staring at the tusks. Their tusks keep on growing. Therefore big tusks can be an indication of a mature elephant. Both females and males elephants from Africa grow tusks. While Asian elephants only the male that grows their tusks. An adult elephant with short tusks is considered female.

 

18. Elephants Don't Need Much Sleep

While we need 8 hours of sleep to keep fresh and for better functionality, elephants don't sleep a lot. They are very flexible. This animal just sleeps 4 hours a night and even spends two hours of its sleep in a standing position. They need more effort to have a deep sleep, and they usually obtain this by laying on the side, and this makes them snore out loudly. So, there is no difference from human beings, right?

 

19. They Are Very Emotional

Even if elephants are able to survive for sixty years, they often die prior to reaching this number due to disease or injury. Elephants get emotional once they see someone dying. They turn silent and take the time to lament the dead member, and there are instances wherein they cover the carcass of the dead members with soil or grass.

 

20. They Are Scared of Ant and Bees

Also, it is proven in the research that elephants are scared of bees and ants, which shows that in spite of having huge bodies, they are very gentle. 

 

21. Mating Interaction for Elephants is called Musth

During this time, male elephants have the utmost levels of testosterone and are extremely aggressive, most notably toward other males. They will do everything to dominate their surroundings and mate with a female, a condition that can last for more than a month. While this period ( Musth) is related to heightened sexual activity, non-musth male elephants also mate.

 

22. Long Pregnancies Ever Recorded

Being pregnant for almost 22 months, come to think of it? Female elephants are just fertile for a couple of days for one year, and during this time, many bulls will find to mate with them. They use courting habits before really mating; on the other hand, she will be pregnant for almost 22 months or nearly two years if the female allows.

 

23. They Are Good and Skilled Swimmers

Maybe you think that elephants are big to swim in the river, but they are expert swimmers in reality. They make use of their trunks as a snorkel when underwater. It is quite a trick.

 

 

24. They Get Easily Sunburned

It is not a joke! This animal gets sunburned like a human being, despite having thick skin. This is why they ensure to be in the shade and use the trunks to put mud or sand on their backs in order to keep away from sunburn.

 

25. They Are Very Affectionate

Elephants are not just intelligent but also very affectionate. They can learn and feel emotions. Once a family member is harmed or injured, the rest will come to provide help. Also, they can determine if a member is no longer in the herds, and it is a heartbreaking sight to see them grieve over the remains of the lost family.

 

26. They Run 40 Kilometers Per Hour

Of course, you don't want to get in the way of an aggressive elephant. According to the research, they can run at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour.

 

27. They Are Able to Know More 100 Friends From Calls

This animal produces sounds which human beings can't even hear. Many of their calls are very low and below the range of our hearing. What is more, they are also able to recognize more than 100 different friends just from their calls. Hmmm, sounds interesting!

 

28. They Are Close to Each Other

Elephant family groups are incredibly close. While they cannot hug each one, they do wrap their trunks around relatives to comfort them and to welcome each other, and they twist their trunks together.

 

29. Elephants Are Very Dangerous

This animal is renowned for living in social groups led by female species. Even if elephants are admired, respected as well as revered in South Asia and Africa, they are also feared. They can be dangerous as well as aggressive.

 

 

Cool Facts About Elephants

30. They Eat 100 Types of Plants

An elephant eats an extensive array of plant material, which includes leaves, grass, shrubs, and woody parts of trees, fruits, and flowers when on hand. After the rain, they also dig for roots. An average Asian elephant feeds over 100 types of plants, and other Asian and African species eat crops like millet.

 

31. They Weigh About 6000 Kilograms

An African bush elephant is not only the most giant species but also the biggest land mammal all over the world, with a weight of 6000 kilograms and stands 3.2m tall. In contrast, a female elephant is approximately sixty centimeters shorter as well as half the weight. A male elephant from Asia weighs 4000 kilograms with a height of 2.75 meters, while the African forest weighs 2000kg and with a height of 2.2 meters, which is considered the smallest species.

 

32. Baby Elephants Weigh 77 to 113 kg

A baby elephant weighs 100 kilograms, which is heavier than an adult human being, and many newborn elephants can weigh 120 kilograms. Those numbers refer to African bush elephants. Other species are considerably smaller.

 

33. They Can Be Left or Right Tusked

Like human beings, elephants can also be left or right-handed; they are known to utilize one tusk more than the other. Sometimes, this favored appendage is also called master tusk and frequently looks more worn.

 

34. Elephants Recognize Their Reflections  

Elephants are able to know themselves in mirrors. An expert believes this is an indication of great self-awareness. In one research, an elephant from Asia named Happy frequently touched an X painted on her forehead while staring in the mirror, a sign that she was staring at her reflection. A lot of animals will take for granted that a reflection is another animal and search for it at the back of the mirror.

 

35. Elephants Have a Sixth Sense Too

Study shows that this animal has sixth sense too. They can detect a thunderstorm from 280 kilometers away and head towards it. In the year 2004, elephants head for higher ground before the devastating tsunami struck.

 

36. Elephants Produce Methane

Another remarkable fun fact about this animal is its capability to produce lots of methane gas due to digestion. According to scientists, the amount of methane an elephant can produce in a single day is enough to power a car for 32 kilometers.

 

37. Baby Elephants Suck Trunks

Like a newborn child, an infant elephant also sucks its trunk, which prompts it to drink from its mom's breasts. If a youngster isn't feeding, it might stick its trunks for comfort. A newborn elephant doesn't know how to use its trunk, thus taught by his or her mother how to utilize it.

 

38. August 12 Is Elephant National Day

To commemorate this gentle and friendly animal, we have allocated a special day to celebrate their kindness and friendship.

 

39. Six Sets of Molar Teeth

An elephant has six sets of molar teeth, which he or she depends on for survival. Once the last set is gone, an elephant is not able to eat and sooner or later dies of starvation.

 

40. Elephant's Feet Have Soft Covering 

The feet of an elephant are covered in soft padding, which assists in supporting weight. The soft padding helps a lot in preventing them from dulling. Thus, they are able to walk silently, despite their big size. What is more, feet are also used to pay attention to the sub-sonic rumblings being made by other elephants via vibrations in the ground. They listen by simply putting the trunks on the ground as well as carefully placing their feet.

 

41. Poor Eyesight

Aside from having small eyes, elephants also have poor eyesight. On the other hand, they make for this with a remarkable sense of smell. It is regarded as the best in the entire animal kingdom. They are also able to smell water from 12 miles away.

 

42. Show Behavior Patterns

Elephants are very sensitive animals. They have been known to shown behavior patterns the same as post-traumatic stress disorder as well as depression.

 

43. Able to Distinguish Human Voice

They are able to distinguish and recognize human voices. They are also able to differentiate between human languages, female and male voices, friendly voices, as well as those related to risk and danger.

 

44. They Don't Eat Meat

Another crazy fun fact about elephants is that they don't eat meat; instead, they eat fruit, grass, plants. As mentioned above, they eat hundreds of types of plants, which helps them develop their muscles, and at the same time, plants are their source of energy. 

 

45. They eat tree bark, plant roots, and even soil

Yes. You heard it right; elephants love to eat tree bark, plant roots as well as soil. Tree bark is a good source of roughage that plays a vital role in the proper digestion of elephants. 

 

46.  Elephants Trunks Have Mad Skills

The trunk of this animal has approximately 150,000 muscle units. The trunks are also considered the most sensitive organ in any animal or mammals. Asian species can pick up a peanut, open it, and then throw out the shell and eat the nut. Amazing right? This animal makes use of the trunks to drink water; it has 8 liters of water. Also, they use the trunks as a snorkel when underwater.

 

 

These are just some of the crazy fun facts about elephants. They played an essential part in our ecosystem, and they are essential in keeping their balance. So, please be kind to them!