1The Super-Powered Elephant Trunk
Did you know that an elephant's trunk is one of the most amazing tools in the animal kingdom? While we only have about 600 muscles in our whole bodies, an elephant's trunk has over 40,000! This incredible trunk is a long nose, a powerful arm, and a delicate hand all rolled into one. Elephants use their trunks to breathe, trumpet loudly to talk to friends, and even pick up a tiny piece of grass. They can also use them like a straw to suck up to two gallons of water at a time to spray into their mouths or over their backs for a refreshing bath!
2Family Life and Growing Up
Elephants are very social animals that live in big families led by the oldest and wisest female, called a matriarch. When a baby elephant, or calf, is born, it already weighs about 200 pounds—that is like 30 house cats put together! These calves are very playful but they need a lot of help. They stay close to their mothers and aunts for many years to learn important skills, like how to find hidden water holes and which plants are the tastiest to eat. They even suck their trunks for comfort, just like a human baby might suck their thumb!
3Smart Giants with Great Memories
There is a famous saying that "an elephant never forgets," and it is actually true! Elephants have the largest brains of any land animal, and they use them to remember the faces of family members and the locations of food and water across hundreds of miles. This intelligence helps them survive in the wild. Because they are so heavy—weighing as much as four large cars—they have to eat for up to 18 hours every single day to keep their energy up. Whether they are flapping their giant ears to stay cool or rumbling to say hello, elephants truly are the kings and queens of the land.
