Where do elephants live?
They will live in almost any habitat that provides plentiful food and water. Their populations are scattered throughout the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. About 70 percent of their range exists in protected land.
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What are African savanna elephants?
They are the world’s largest terrestrial mammal. There are two recognized subspecies of African elephants: the savanna (bush) and the forest elephant. Savanna elephants are larger than forest elephants and their tusks curve out, while forest elephants are darker and have tusks that are straighter and that point downward.
Elephants have a very long nose, which also doubles as an arm.
Their trunk is a long nose that is used for breathing, smelling, drinking, trumpeting, and grabbing objects. Their trunks are also a grooming tool. Grooming consists of using their trunks to cover themselves with mud or water to maintain hydration. They have two fingerlike extensions on the tips of their trunks that are used for holding onto small objects. They also use their trunks to exhibit affection, by frequently touching and caressing one another.
They spend a lot of time eating.
It’s no great surprise these large animals love to eat. Elephants’ diet consists of grasses, fruits, roots, and bark, and spend the majority of their day roaming across large distances foraging for food. They can eat up to 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of food and drink 113 to 190 liters (30 to 50 gallons) of water in one day.
Elephants are friendly.
Much like humans, they are social creatures that live in small family groups that usually consist of an older matriarch and several generations of female relatives. Males are typically solitary once matured but may live in small groups of three or four bulls. They take care of weak or injured members and even appear to grieve over dead companions.