Kingdom animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order proboscis
Family elephantidae
Elephants are the largest terrestrial vertebrates in existence today. Despite their size, they are not very aggressive animals. The exception applies to males, during the reproductive period, when they become aggressive, due to increased testosterone.
They are herbivorous animals, feeding mainly on leaves and fruits, about 100 kilos a day. They live in herds of approximately ten females and a few offspring, led by the matriarch.
Only in the reproductive season do adult males and females meet. Females, also called “incidentally”, reach sexual maturity at around twelve years of age. Gestation lasts approximately twenty-one months, giving rise to a single offspring, most of the time. He will be born with almost a hundred kilos of mass, will nurse for about two years, and will accompany the flock for a considerable time, being able to live for about ninety years. An aliyah is capable of getting pregnant every four years.
There are two species of elephants, belonging to two different genera. Check out its features:
|
asian elephant (Elephas Maximus) |
African elephant (African Loxodont) |
 |
 |
| 3 to 5 tons | 4 to 6 tons |
| Measure up to 3 meters | Measure approximately 5 meters |
| Rarely have ivory tusks | Feature ivory tusks |
| The proboscis ends in a lobe | The proboscis ends in two lobes |
| Four nails on the hind legs | Three nails on the hind legs |
| Five nails on the front legs | Five nails on the front legs |
| 19 pairs of ribs | 21 pairs of ribs |
| They have lumps above the eyes | Do not have lumps above the eyes |
| short ears | long ears |
No natural enemies except lions, which can attack the cubs; the elephant, upon reaching a certain age, seeks a place to stay there until death comes, as a kind of premonition. After this moment, the members of the herd remain there, touching their bodies with their trunks and, even years later, they repeat this ritual as they pass by.
As for the conservation status of elephants, the African Loxodonta is vulnerable and the Elephas Maximus, in danger. The main reason is related to hunting, which aims to capture ivory, which is very profitable in the parallel market. Due to such status, some reserves were created in Africa and Asia, aiming at their conservation.
Curiosities:
- The aggressiveness of an elephant in heat is responsible for the death of about 500 human beings a year.
- Elephant ivories are actually two elongated incisors.
- The brain of an elephant weighs about five and a half kilos and the trunk, one hundred and forty kilos.
- An elephant's penis can measure more than a meter, and weigh two kilos.
- Each elephant has a unique ear pattern, just like a fingerprint.
By Mariana Araguaia
Biologist, specialist in Environmental Education
Brazil School Team
Vertebrates -Animals -Brazil School