The Beginning: Defining the Elephant

I have recently found out that right next to my love for tigers, is my love for the elephant.
Yes, that big big often misunderstood and lovable creature; of which i have decided to blog about.
It has been 35 weeks since i wrote my last blog on the tiger (sharonkili.blogspot.com.au/) and i thought it was about time i rekindle my writing with another wild creature.


So, why would i blog about this animal? Well, follow me through and i will show you.

You don't need me telling you that elephants are the largest land animals on earth, but maybe you don't know this about them...

1. There are two kind of elephants: the African and Asian elephant. Both of them have several subspecies. It is not however known the number of subspecies there are.
2. Elephants eat grass, roots, fruit and bark and has an appetite that matches its body size! According to National Geographic, it can eat about 136kgs of food a day!
3. A group of elephants is called a herd...you probably know that... but i bet you didn't know that it is actually the oldest female also known as the matriarch, that leads the entire herd! Adult males apparently tend to wander off on their own.Talks about strength of a 'woman'!

And that's not all...elephants follow certain  rules of engagement in that in a meeting, it is expected that the other elephant extends it trunk for greeting. Just as the queen teaches princesses etiquette, the matriarch often teaches young elephants in her herd how to act properly. Now isn't that just proper!

4. In the same way that humans tend to be right handed or left handed, elephants can be right tusked or left tusked...According to the World Wide Fund, the dominant task is easily identified because it is usually worn out. Interesting, right?

5. According to National Geographic, an elephant's trunk has over 100,000 muscles that it uses to breathe, smell, pick things, drink and make noises with! 

6. One more fact on these creatures...the elephants skin can be as thick as one inch but it is quite sensitive to the sun and thus protects itself by covering in mud and dust.

Now do you see why i have an interest in them...they are such unique creatures and well...with their size and all...we might tend to dismiss them as too big and dangerous to care to know them but i bet you will be surprised what you find out...

More to come.... :)