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Elephant Orphans
African Elephant
Description
Body rotund ; skin nearly hairless ,grey or brownish and wrinkled.
A creature as big as a truck, with a nose as long as it's legs that functions as a siphon,snorkel (on deep water crossings),squirt-gun,trumpet,& feeding tool powerful enough to rip branches from trees but delicate enough ,with finger like projections at the tip,to pickup a pea. Such a bulky,compact body is subject to overheating , so elephants must have shade or water holes at midday . Huge,sail like ears also dissipate heat from veins lying just under the skin. Tusks which occur in both sexes are upper incisors that never stop growing.
Habitat
Rain forests to sub deserts ,swamps and sea shores
Breeding
Most mating and births occur during rainy season;1 calf born after gestation of 22 months, the LONGEST in mammals
Facts
A cohesive herd 9-11 females and their calves is the basic social unit, led by the biggest oldest cow(matriarch)
Males leave the herd at puberty, when they are 12 years old, and spend rest of their lives alternately associating with other males and wandering alone.
ELEPHANTS ARE RARE OUTSIDE RESERVES BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE HUNTING FOR TUSKS
Elephant Orphans
African Elephant
Description
Body rotund ; skin nearly hairless ,grey or brownish and wrinkled.
A creature as big as a truck, with a nose as long as it's legs that functions as a siphon,snorkel (on deep water crossings),squirt-gun,trumpet,& feeding tool powerful enough to rip branches from trees but delicate enough ,with finger like projections at the tip,to pickup a pea. Such a bulky,compact body is subject to overheating , so elephants must have shade or water holes at midday . Huge,sail like ears also dissipate heat from veins lying just under the skin. Tusks which occur in both sexes are upper incisors that never stop growing.
Habitat
Rain forests to sub deserts ,swamps and sea shores
Breeding
Most mating and births occur during rainy season;1 calf born after gestation of 22 months, the LONGEST in mammals
Facts
A cohesive herd 9-11 females and their calves is the basic social unit, led by the biggest oldest cow(matriarch)
Males leave the herd at puberty, when they are 12 years old, and spend rest of their lives alternately associating with other males and wandering alone.
ELEPHANTS ARE RARE OUTSIDE RESERVES BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE HUNTING FOR TUSKS