Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
By Javier Navarro, on Sep. 2018
East mammal It is the largest pachyderm on the planet and from an evolutionary point of view it descends from the mammoth. It shares with the species of the same order a series of characteristics: a thick skin, little hair and a high weight. There are two different species of elephants: the African and the Asian.
Main features
Its measurements range between 2.7 and 3.5 meters. It exceeds 6500 kilos in weight and the gestation period is 22 months. Your brain is approaching 5 kg. It's an animal herbivorous and an adult specimen needs 250 kilos of food per day. In its habitat their natural average life span is 60 years.
It stands out for its elongated trunk, a powerful muscle that allows it to perform several functions: pick up the food and other objects, breathe, identify smells, make sounds or defend against possible assaults. In the trunk there are more than 40 thousand muscles.
It adapts well to all types of habitats, from desert territories to tropical forests.
Their fangs have a high price on the black market
Although the elephant is a protected animal in most countries, stealth safaris are still organized to hunt it. The ivory from their tusks can be replaced by other synthetic materials with identical characteristics, but despite this there is a black market associated with ivory. The tusks of the African elephant sometimes exceed 200 kg.
Its role in history and culture
This animal is present in all kinds of cultural traditions. In India and China it is a symbol of wisdom, luck and peace. Likewise, it is the symbol of the Republicans of the United States.
When a person has a great capacity to remember data, it is said that he has a memory of elephant, since this animal does not forget the past events, especially the aggressions.
The Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed the Alps in order to defeat the Romans. In addition to the 50,000 men and 9,000 horses, it is estimated that he was accompanied by a large number of African elephants
During World War I they were used to move heavy equipment.
In some accounts of African mythology it is stated that there is a place where sick elephants go to die. For some researchers it is not a simple legend, since it is quite common to find skeletons of various groups of elephants.
In the continent Asiatic has been an animal associated with agricultural tasks and has been integrated into circus shows throughout the world. In the world of literature child, the elephant Babar created by the French Jean de Brunhoff is a icon universal.
Photos: Fotolia - Prill Medien / BlueOrange
Themes in Elephant