Elephants

Elephants use their trunks like built-in water bottles, holding up to 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water at a time!

Adult elephants drink up to 50 gallons (189 liters) of water per day — enough to fill 900 water bottles!

Elephants eat more than 100 different kinds of plants!

Baby elephants don’t know how to use their trunks for eating at first, and sometimes step on them by accident!

Elephants use their tusks to dig up roots and strip bark from trees for food!

An elephant’s trunk is so precise it can pick up a single grain of rice!

Elephants help plant new trees by spreading seeds in their poop across many miles!

There are about 415,000 African elephants left in the wild today!

Asian elephants are endangered, with only about 40,000 left in the wild!

Elephant populations are threatened by habitat loss and poaching!

Some countries have special elephant corridors to help them move safely between different areas!

Many elephants are now protected by laws that make it illegal to hunt them!

An elephant’s trunk contains no bones, but has 8 major muscles that help it move in any direction!

Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants and usually have smaller ears!

An elephant’s ears can be as large as 6 feet (1.83 meters) across — that’s taller than most adults!

Baby elephants don’t have full control of their trunks until they’re about 8 months old — imagine trying to use a very long, wiggly nose!

An elephant’s trunk is so sensitive, it can feel a difference in textures as small as a grain of sand!

Elephants create artwork in some sanctuaries by holding paintbrushes with their trunks!

Elephants comfort each other when they’re upset by making gentle chirping sounds and touching each other with their trunks!

Elephants can identify different human languages and determine if the speaker might be a threat!

Elephants sometimes play games with each other, like tug-of-war with branches or splashing in water!

Elephants have been observed using branches as flyswatters and back-scratchers!

Elephants create trails through forests that can last for hundreds of years!

African forest elephants help create clearings in dense forests that other animals use!

Elephants help maintain grasslands by preventing trees from taking over!

Elephants create water holes that provide drinking water for many other animals during dry seasons!

Elephant calves learn to walk in the first few hours after birth — much faster than human babies!

Baby elephants suckle with their mouths, not their trunks, and hold their trunks to the side while drinking!

Female elephants help take care of other mothers’ babies, acting like elephant babysitters!

Young male elephants often form bachelor groups when they leave their family herds!

Elephant calves grow about 1 pound (0.45 kg) every day in their first year!

Elephants sometimes travel more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) in a single day looking for food!

Adult elephants can spend up to 20 hours a day eating — that’s like eating all day except when sleeping!

Elephants prefer different types of grass during different seasons!

Baby elephants don’t eat any plants until they’re about 6–8 months old, drinking only their mother’s milk!

Elephants help spread plant seeds through their dung, making them important forest gardeners!

Elephants can detect rainstorms from up to 150 miles (241 kilometers) away!

Elephants can use their trunks to snorkel while swimming across deep rivers!

Elephants can communicate through the ground by making low-frequency sounds that travel through the earth!

Elephants can smell water from several miles away using their amazing trunks!

Elephants can distinguish between different human ethnic groups by their voices and scents!

An elephant’s trunk is strong enough to lift a log, but gentle enough to pick up a single blade of grass!

An elephant’s memory is so good, they can remember old friends even after being separated for many years!

An elephant herd walks in a line, with each elephant holding the tail of the one in front with its trunk!

An adult elephant’s foot is designed like a shock absorber, helping them walk quietly despite their huge size!

An adult African elephant can be as heavy as 205 third-grade students combined!

Elephants have existed for millions of years, and their ancient relatives included the wooly mammoth!

Ancient elephants called mastodons were once found in North America!

Elephants have been working with humans for over 4,000 years!

Ancient civilizations like the Romans and Carthaginians used elephants in warfare!