Elephants

As of 2024, the oldest living elephant is Vatsala, who is believed to be over 105 years old.

Elephants have special padding in their feet that helps them walk silently despite their enormous weight!

An elephant’s wrinkled skin helps them stay cool by trapping moisture in the folds!

Elephants have special blood vessels near their ears that help cool their blood when they flap their ears!

Baby elephants have pink-tinted skin that darkens as they get older!

Elephants walk on their tiptoes! This special way of walking helps them carry their huge weight and move quietly, even though they’re so big!

Elephants make over 70 different kinds of vocal sounds to communicate with each other!

Baby elephants make a chirping sound when they’re happy, similar to a bird’s song!

Elephants can communicate with other herds that are miles away using low rumbling sounds!

Elephants stomp their feet to send vibration messages through the ground to other elephants!

Elephants can recognize the voices of up to 100 different elephants!

Elephants only sleep for about 2–4 hours per day — much less than humans!

Elephants sometimes sleep standing up when they’re in areas with potential predators!

Baby elephants often take naps in the shade while adults stand guard around them!

Elephants travel in a special order: the oldest females lead the way, babies stay safe in the middle, and young males follow at the back!

Elephants can figure out how to use boxes as steps to reach food placed high up!

Elephants sometimes drop fruits in water to wash them before eating!

Elephants can learn to untie knots using their trunk and teeth!

Elephants sometimes work together to move heavy objects by pushing from different sides!

An elephant’s heart beats only 30 times per minute — less than half as fast as a human heart!

An elephant’s trunk weighs about 400 pounds (approximately 180 kilograms) and can hold 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) of water!

Elephants have bones in their feet that rest on tip-toe, like they’re wearing high heels!

An elephant’s tooth can weigh as much as 11 pounds (5 kilograms) — that’s heavier than a house cat!

Young female elephants help take care of their baby brothers and sisters!

Elephant herds usually consist of 6–20 elephants led by a grandmother elephant called the matriarch!

Baby elephants stay close to their mothers for the first three years of their lives!

Adult elephants never leave a baby elephant stuck in mud until it’s rescued!

Adult elephants have no natural predators except for humans due to their large size!

Baby elephants are protected by the entire herd walking in a circle around them if there’s danger!

Elephants stamp their feet on the ground to warn others of approaching danger!

Mother elephants teach their babies which plants are safe to eat and which to avoid!

Elephants can run at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour) — faster than any human!

Elephants are one of the few animals that cannot jump!

Elephants are right or left-tusked, just like humans are right or left-handed!

The largest elephant ever recorded weighed 24,000 pounds (10,886 kilograms) — as much as five cars!

The longest elephant tusks ever measured were 11.5 feet (3.51 meters) long — taller than a basketball hoop!

An elephant can carry up to 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms) on its back — that’s like carrying more than 8 grown-ups!

The largest elephant footprint ever measured was 24 inches (61 centimeters) across — bigger than a car tire!