ANIMAL CURIOSITIES

Four fun facts you may not know about elephants

The elephant is the largest mammal living on our planet today. Male specimens of the African elephant, for example, can exceed three meters in height and weigh over five tons.

Today you can find the two species of elephants-savannah and forest-living in Africa and the Asian elephant, which inhabits South Asia and Southeast Asia instead.

Elephants tend to live in groups consisting of related female specimens and their own cubs, with the older female being considered the matriarch.

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Where do elephants live
The elephant is the largest mammal living on our planet today. Male specimens of the African elephant, for example, can exceed three metres in height and weigh over five tonnes. Today, it is possible to find the two elephant species - savannah and forest - living in Africa and the Asian elephant, which inhabits South and South-East Asia.
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The group with the matriarch
Elephants tend to live in groups consisting of related females and their cubs, with the oldest female being considered the matriarch.
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What they eat and how much
Elephants spend at least 18 hours a day feeding. Their favourite food is plant matter such as fruits, leaves, shoots, branches and roots. They can eat up to about 150 kg of food per day.
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How they communicate with each other
How do elephants keep in touch with each other? They do it by using infrasound emitted at low frequency, which humans cannot hear.
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The gestation and birth of elephants
The gestation of a female elephant lasts a full 22 months. When the calf is born it weighs about one hundred kilograms, is weaned after three years, but at nine months it is already able to integrate some vegetable substances into its diet.
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