Elephants

Elephants are the largest land mammals on earth. Elephants are herbivores and prefer habitats that give them access to food and water. They have characteristic long noses, or trunks , floppy ears and wide, thick legs. There are two species of elephant. The Asian elephant and the African elephant live on separate continents and have many unique features.

Classification/Taxonomy 

The taxonomy of elephants is:
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Bilateria
Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Theria
Infraclass: Eutheria
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae    
Genera & species: Loxodonta africana (African savannah elephant), Loxodonta cyclotis (African forest elephant), Elephas maximus (Asian elephant)


SIZE MATTERS
- African elephants have a shoulder height of between 10 - 13 feet and weighing as much as 1400 pounds or more.
- Asian elephants have a shoulder height of between 6,5 - 11,5 feet and weighing as much as 1300 pounds or more

Trunk

1. The trunk contains an estimated 100,000 muscles and tendons in the trunk, giving it extreme flexibility and strength. Elephant trunks are capable of expanding, contracting, and moving in a diverse array of directions.
2. The elephant's trunk is an extension of the upper lip and nose. It functions for grasping, breathing, feeding, dusting, smelling, drinking, lifting, sound production/communication, defense/protection, and sensing.
3. Asian elephants have one finger-like projection at the tip of the trunk and African elephants have two. These finger-like projections have many sensitive nerve endings and are capable of fine motor skills, such as grasping small and delicate objects.
4. Elephants' trunks and keen sense of smell are used to survey the environment. 

Ears
The size of elephant ears is proportionate to its geographic distribution. The closer to the equator the elephant resides, the larger the ears, allowing more heat to dissipate (remove) from the body, and therefore has larger ears. African elephants live closest to the equator and have the largest ears, followed by the Asian elephants. The now extinct woolly mammoth, lived near the North Pole, and had the smallest ears.

 

Foot

1. The skeleton of an elephant's foot is angled, with a large pad of fat and connective tissue at the heel. The angled foot structure means that elephants walk on their tiptoes with their body weight evenly distributed across the fatty connective tissue at the heel. The elephant's unique foot structure enables secure movement over uneven terrain and swampy ground. 

Skin

1. Elephant skin is wrinkled in appearance, with African elephants more wrinkled than Asian elephants. Wrinkles act as a cooling mechanism by increasing the skin's surface area. The additional skin and wrinkles trap moisture, which then takes longer to evaporate. Therefore, wrinkles keep elephants cooler, for longer, than if they had smooth skin. They skin is so sensitive they can feel something fly landing on it.

Fun Fact 

1. Elephants love water. They like to swim, dive into the water and find great fun in fighting the waves. It also gives their joints a break with the buoyancy they get from the water.

2.Elephant females can have babies until they are about 50 years old. They tend to have a new baby every 2 and half to 4 years. They usually have one baby, twins are very rare.

3. Stories of African elephants getting drunk from the fermented marula fruit are not true. The animals don’t eat the fruit off the ground where it ferments, and even if they did, it would take about 1,400 pieces to get one elephant drunk.

4. The main reason why elephants are massively killed by poachers is their tusks. Although scientific researches proved the ivory consists of dentine, a tissue that is similar to bone and has no special effects or qualities.

5. Although the elephant trunk is really huge, weighing about 400 pounds, it is so dexterous it can pick up very tiny things including a single grain of rice.

and many more..
This is a video link about elephants fun fact
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=ieMyVKXSd7k

Question:
1.) The following statement is wrong about the elephant is..
a. Elephants are the largest land mammals on the world
b. Asian elephants have a shoulder height of between 6,5 - 11,5 feet
c. Elephant don’t eat the fruit off the ground where it ferments
d. They usually have two baby
e. Elephants are massively killed by poachers is their tusks

2.) Elephant females can have babies until they are..
a. 50 years old
b. more than 50 years old
c. Less than 50 years old
d. 20 years old
e. Until it was died

3.) The function of elephant foot are correct except,..
a. secure movement over uneven terrain
b. swampy ground
c. walk
d. grasp food
e. detect the seismic

4.) African elephants have a shoulder height of between 10 - 13 feet
a. between 10 - 13 feet
b. more than 13 feet
c. between 10-14 feet
d. less than 10 feet
e. between 10-15 feet

5.) The main reason why elephants are massively killed by poachers is..
a. ears
b. trunk
c. foot
d.tail
e. tusk