What is the maximum height of an African elephant in the shoulders?

The most massive animal living on Earth is an African elephant. At the same time, his Indian "brother" has a much more modest size. The maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulders is 4 meters, and the weight of the old male reaches 7.5 tons. Let's learn about this animal as much as possible.

Facts in Figures

The African elephant is a mammal, which is distinguished not only by its impressive size, but also by its psychology and way of life. Wildlife inhabits very few individuals - only 600 000, because these animals are listed in the International Red Book and protected by law.

The appearance of this giant is delighted, the adult has the following parameters:

• The body length of the animal varies from 6 to 7.5 meters.
• The maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulders is 4 meters.
• The length of the tail is 100-130 cm.
• Body weight is from 3 to 7.5 tons.
• The length of the ears can reach 1.5 meters.
• Tusks weigh from 18 to 107 kilograms.

Elephant Diver

African elephants are the descendants of extinct mastodons and mammoths. If we proceed from this fact, then there is nothing surprising in what the maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulders.

Australian scientists, examining the embryo and embryo of an animal, came to the conclusion that many millions of years ago elephants knew how to ... swim! The fact is that the structure of the renal ducts in embryos has a striking similarity with the same organs of frogs, fish and sea cows. In addition, it turned out that the testicles of the male embryo are hidden inside the same way as in all marine mammals. Most likely, waterfowl elephants, who inhabited our planet many centuries ago, swam under water, using a trunk as a tube of a scuba diver. By the way, when swimming pools of water, modern elephant species also use a breathing trunk - the short neck does not allow them to keep their heads above the water. Of course, the height of the African elephant in the shoulders allows him to easily navigate shallow outbacks. And the trunk will always help.

Elephant bonuses

Regardless of the height of the African elephant in the shoulders (2 or 4 meters), his body covers a great many wrinkles from birth, their number increases with age. Tusks in this species of elephants have both males and females. In addition, unlike other elephants who have one "finger" on the trunk, the African is the lucky owner of the two. If this species could be judged by human standards, African elephants are a kind of aristocracy. In addition, the brain of an elephant is 4 times larger than the human - so this animal has the most impressive brain among those who have ever inhabited our planet.

It's all in the trunk!

Perhaps the most remarkable in appearance is not the maximum height of an African elephant in the shoulder, but its trunk. He does not have a single bone and consists mainly of muscles. There are very many of them - about 40 000. Few people know that the trunk is nothing more than a hyperdynamic upper lip, which in the process of evolution has grown together with the nose. The trunk for the elephant, as for us the hand, is needed to deliver food and water into the mouth, to raise dust for bathing in dust baths, to get food, to make trumpet sounds, to cut down trees. It also serves as an organ of smell, and "fingers" an elephant can pick and examine items the size of a coin. By the way, the trunk is a rather heavy burden, and the elephant often gives itself rest, putting its anatomical feature on the tusk. Interestingly, the tiny elephants do not know how to use the trunk and learn this wisdom for several months.

Ivory

The tusks of the elephant are strongly developed incisors, the length of which, no matter what the maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulders, can reach 3.5 meters. The main enemy of an adult elephant is a man who is ready to kill a huge number of these animals for the sake of the so-called ivory ivory. Why do we need tusks? Elephants dig their ditches and fight with competitors during the marriage battles.

Interesting is the fact that animals with massive tusks are encountered less and less - apparently, mother nature took pity on its ancient inhabitants, thanks to which evolution takes place, what the African giants are being destroyed for is being destroyed.

Miracle locators

Elephants have rather small eyes, which they see badly. This is due not only to poor eyesight, but also to the fact that they are located on a practically motionless head, which greatly depletes the horizon of the animal. To inspect the outside world does not help even the maximum height of the African elephant in the shoulder. But these giants have truly magical ears! In addition to the functions of the air conditioner, they work like radar, catching sounds that a person can not hear under the power.

Elephant Scouts

Despite the impressive weight, elephants can move so silently that they would be envious of the special forces. On the soles of the elephant's legs are elastic cushions, which act as shock absorbers. Thanks to them, elephants go on tiptoe as if. Their average speed of movement is 6 kilometers per hour, however in case of danger they can move at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour. These animals do not know how to jump over obstacles and jump up, but they easily swim over the ponds.

Moms and Kids

The female elephant becomes sexually mature at the age of 14-15 and mates with males ready for mating battles. Together with the chosen one, the elephant is separated from the rest of the herd to reproduce the offspring. Pregnancy of the female lasts longer than the human - about 22 months, after which only one baby is born, who is able to move in the herd in a couple of days. By the way, the weight of a newborn elephant rarely exceeds 140 kilograms. For the life cycle, one elephant is capable of giving birth to 12 toddlers.

Cubs of elephants are very delicious prey for different predators. They do not have tusks and have not yet grown to the point where the height of the African elephant in the shoulders scares off those who want to eat their meat. In addition, in the first 5 years of life, babies eat mother's milk and are under the watchful eye of an elephant. The baby begins to walk separately at 10 years, and when it becomes a giant, and the maximum height of an African elephant reaches its highest point, nobody is afraid of him except for a man.

In the natural environment, elephants live about as long as people - about 70 years. In captivity, these animals often do not survive to old age due to illnesses, poor conditions of detention, stress.