Facts about the African elephants

Facts about the African elephants : The exquisite African elephant is among the most captivating creatures to witness during a Kenya wildlife safari. It is a unique and amazing experience to walk in these magnificent animals’ footsteps and observe them in their natural environment. Unlike its Asian counterpart, the African elephant is difficult to tame. There is a lot to learn about them, and they are creatures of the wild.

Before your next safari vacation, share these 10 amazing facts about African elephants with the youngsters or the entire family.

1. African elephants belong to the Greek-derived genus Loxodonta, which comprises the two main species: the smaller African forest elephant and the larger African bush elephant.

2. African elephants differ from Asian elephants in that their skin is more wrinkled, they are bigger, their ears extend higher over their necks, their backs are concave (Asian elephants have straight backs), and their trunks have more rings than Asian elephants.

3. The African elephant differs from its Asian sibling not only in appearance but also in having an extra pair of ribs (21 pairs instead of 20).

4. The largest land mammal in the world, the African elephant may grow to lengths of over 7 metres, heights of up to 3 metres, and a maximum weight of more than 6 tonnes.

5. The elephant’s enormous ears, which are larger than those of an Asian elephant, have a variety of functions. Elephants utilize their large ears as a means of communication with other animals, as well as to improve their hearing, which allows them to detect sounds up to 4 kilometres away. The size of their ears also allows them to vent extra heat in hot climes.

6. An elephant’s ears, tail, eyes, and trunk are all utilized for communication. A swishing or wagging tail can indicate enjoyment, rapid ear flapping might indicate eagerness or hostility, and head shaking can indicate that they feel threatened or are attempting to intimidate. But don’t be too frightened if you see any of these behaviours while on Kenya safari; elephants occasionally flap their ears as a way to calm down. The key is to interpret their body language as a whole.

7. It has been said that African elephants dribble. But not in the way you might think from the mouth. Males occasionally exhibit dribbling from their temples, which is thought to be a heightened state of testosterone that can happen during stressful or exciting situations. But beware, as it could be a sign that the male is in ‘musth’ and they can become irritable.

8. The elephant takes the longest time to give birth of any terrestrial animal on the planet 22 months. Up to 260 pounds, or more than 30 times the weight of an average human baby, can be weighed by newborn calves.

9. African elephants are capable of producing a wide variety of sounds, spanning ten whole octaves. That being said, “rumbling,” a low frequency sound that elephants employ to make long-distance calling noises to others, is the most common audio communication method.

10. Because having a strong social network is essential to their survival, elephants rely greatly on their relationships with other elephants. Because of this, they are extremely gregarious animals, and herds are frequently headed by an older matriarch, with moms, sisters, and female relatives forming tight bonds. Around the age of 14, males typically leave their herds and roam in search of suitable mates with other males.