Describe Elephant It's Various Species Under The Order Of Proboscids (Essay Sample)

Physical characteristics of African elephants
Size
Elephant are the largest of all land animals .
Adult males weighs between 1800kg and 6300kg .
Female being smaller weigh around 3600kg at most .
Shoulder height ranges between 3 and 4 meters .
Trunk
Elephant trunk is an extension of upper lip and nose .it functions for grasping ,breathing, feeding ,dusting ,smelling, drinking, lifting ,communication ,defense, and sensing .The trunk contain an estimated 100000 muscles and tendons giving it extreme flexibility and strength .Elephant's trunk are capable of expansion and contractions and moving in diverse decisions .
African elephants have two fingerlike projections at the tip of the trunk while Asian elephants have one .These finger like projections have sensory nerve ending and are also capable of fine motor skills such as grasping small and delicate objects .
Elephant's trunk are very powerful and even capable of uprooting an entire tree trunk .
Ears
The size of elephant ear is proportional to its geographical distribution . The closer to the equator the elephant resides the larger the ears allowing more heat to dissipate from the body .Therefore, African Elephants have larger size of ears .
Dentition
Both African and Asian elephants have a total of 26 teeth including two other incisors which are the tusks ,12 premolars ,similar to baby's teeth .Asian elephant's have smaller tusks compared to those of African elephants.
Diet
Elephants eat grass, roots ,fruits and bark .
They use their tusks to pull the bark from trees and dig roots out of the ground .
Elephant have appetite that matches with their size.
Habitat
African elephants live in subsaharan Africa ,rain first of central and west Africa and Sehel desert in Mali .Savannah elephants occur in eastern and southern Africa with largest number found in Botswana,Tanzania ,Zimbabwe, Kenya ,Zambia ,and south Africa .
Savannah elephants are larger than forest elephants and their tusks are coverd outwards .
Forest elephants are smaller ,darker ,and their curves are small and curve downwards .
Forest elephants ,a distinct subspecies of African elephants are deeply adapted to Forest habitat but are at threat of poaching .
Environmental adaptation
When it is hot ,African elephants suck in water through their trunks and then blow it backwards to shower themselves with a cool mist .
An elephant skin is 1 inch thick and sensitive to sun .Therefore, elephants cover themselves with mud or dust to protect themselves .
Presence of African elephants help to maintain suitable habitats for other species . They contribute to seed dispersal and germination ...