ELEPHANT AT MALAMALA GAME RESERVE

Family - Elephantidae Mass 6000 - 7000 kg / 13000 - 15000 lbs Height 300 - 340 cm / 118 - 134 inches Walking speed 10 km/h / 6.2 mph Charging speed 40 km/h / 24.8 mph Potential longevity 65 - 70 years Gestation period 22 months Record length of tusks 3,5 m / 137 inches

The African elephant is the largest land mammal. An adult bull elephant can weigh between 5000 and 6300 kg's (14000lbs), standing 3,2 - 4,0 metres (13ft) at the shoulder. A cow being slightly smaller, weighing 2800 - 3500 kg (7700 lbs) and standing 2,5 - 3,4 (11ft) metres at the shoulder. Bulls usually have larger tusks than cows and a more rounded forehead; the cow is more angled.

The elephant's tusks are just modified incisor teeth, used as weapons and as an aid in procuring certain foodstuffs, like the bark of trees for example. The heaviest pair of tusks on record weighed 102,3 (225lbs) and 97 kilograms (213 lbs) respectively.

Other distinguishing characteristics of elephants are their large ears. These serve as a display function, as well as performing a cooling effect. This is due to a high percentage of blood vessels which cool the blood when the ears are flapped.

The elephant also has a long trunk which it uses to drink and feed. There are 55 000 muscles in an elephant's trunk, making it an extremely sensitive, prehensile and dextrous aid in an elephant's survival. An elephant's trunk can hold up to 15 litres of water. It uses its trunk to locate food by touch and smell, as an elephant cannot see down its trunk. If an elephant loses the use of its trunk it will die.

Elephants have a wide habitat tolerance. They have an extremely catholic diet eating 90 % of the plant species in their habitat. An adult elephant may consume up to 300 kg's (660lbs) of food in a day and drink 150 - 200 liters of water. This is due to their inefficient digestive systems, returning many nutrients to the soil via their dung.

Elephant herds are matriarchal with an older cow leading the herd. The herds are usually family groups of up to 16 however a number of family groups may join together when at watering sites forming large herds numbering several hundred. Adult bulls live separate lives, only joining a herd when his musth coincides with a females oestrus. After a 22 month gestation period a single calf is born weighing 120 kg's (264 lbs) and standing 85 cm's (34") at the shoulder.

Elephants live for approximately 60 years and have a large brain capacity. They seem to have a form of language and understanding which suggests intelligence and emotions.

An elephant's life span, apart from poaching and other unnatural forms of death, is governed by its 6 sets of molars. As one set is worn down it is replaced by another set. This appears to be every 10 years. This process continues until all 6 sets have been worn down, in which case the animal can no longer chew its food and will starve to death.