Elephants

Elephants

The Largest Land Animal Did you know that elephants are the largest land animals in the world? I saw an amazing picture of a mother elephant with her baby. I wanted to learn more about elephants, so I checked out a book from the library. I learned many unusual facts about elephants that I can share with you.

Elephant Bodies If you've ever seen an elephant in a zoo, you know they are huge. An adult male can weigh as much as six cars. I definitely don't want an elephant to sit on me! Elephants have heavy gray bodies, thick legs, wrinkled skin, and floppy ears. Many elephants also have a pair of tusks, which are long, pointed teeth. Elephants use their tusks to peel the bark off trees and to dig for minerals.

One really interesting part of an elephant is its long trunk. An elephant's trunk is its nose and upper lip joined together into a special shape. An elephant can use its trunk like a hand to pick up food or other objects. The trunk works like a hose when an elephant drinks water or gives itself a shower. A trunk can even work like a snorkel, helping an elephant breathe underwater.

I read about two kinds of elephants. One kind lives in Africa, and the other kind lives in Asia. Here's what I learned about their differences.

Elephant Families Elephants live in families of four to ten females and their young. The females, called cows, are all relatives--grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, and daughters. A wise old female called the matriarch(MAY-tree-ark) is the leader of the family. She helps her family find food and water. She also keeps the family together and helps everyone stay safe.