When you picture an elephant, what do you imagine? A large animal with a large trunk, bet you never thought about elephant anatomy or elephant trunk anatomy. There is so much more than what meets the eye! Continue reading our blog to learn more about this large, beautiful and smart animal we love dearly! 

The anatomy of an elephant

An elephant’s body is built to withstand the outdoors and their living conditions. Their trunks are what they are recognized for, it has over 40,000 muscles in it! Fun elephant trunk anatomy fact: their trunks have more muscles than a human body! An elephants trunk is the most important part of their body, and it’s used in their everyday lives. 

Have you ever noticed elephants teeth? They have a total of 24 but only use two! Their teeth start in the back of their jaw and line up towards the front. When elephants eat, their jaw moves in a forward/backward motion. 

It’s no secret that they are a large animal, and their brain is no different. Their brain is the largest amongst mammals and four times the size of a human brain. Their brain is located in the back of their head, away from their forehead. Elephants are able to recognize themselves, tell the difference between languages and they have exceptional memory.  

Another thing to know about elephant anatomy is their feet and how they walk as if they are tip toeing. The reason for this is because this is how their weight is distributed evenly and they can get around without making a noise. 

An elephant's skin is sensitive, which is why they often cover themselves up in mud, it’s for protection.There’s so many fun facts about elephant anatomy! 

Can you guess the size of an elephants ear? If you said 4 to 6 feet long and 4 feet wide than you are correct! Why do they have such large ears? The answer is because it helps keep them cool in their climate. They are also used to hear anything within a six mile radius! Using their ears they double check if with other members  from their herd are safe. If you ever wanted to spot the difference between an Asian or African elephant, look at their ear sizes. The Asian elephants ears are smaller. 

Why an elephant’s tusks is so special?

Tusks are used for protection, digging, removing items that are in their way and so much more! Trunks are typically protected by their tusks. Tusks are a way to tell the age of an elephant. Just like humans, elephants have a preferred “trunk hand” some prefer the right one while others prefer the left one. You can tell which one they prefer by whichever is longest. 

Tusks can grow to 15- 18 centimeters per year. The whole tusk is made from enamel which is the strongest! Unfortunately, because of their beautiful strong tusks they are being poached. This is illegal but still done regularly. Nearly 20,000 elephants get poached a year.  

Now that you have learned more about elephant anatomy and elephant trunk anatomy it’s time to take a step to help save these beautiful animals!  For Elephants speaks for elephants! We research to improve the lives of wild and captive African elephants! You can help us by donating to our continuous research!