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Elephant Facts ?Fully-grown elephants weigh between 2.5-3.5 tonnes. They are 2-3 meters high (ground to highest point at shoulder) Asian elephants have smaller ears than African elephants. Asian male elephants do not always have tusks the ones without tusks are called Seedors. Seedors quite often have large incisors, which can be mistaken for baby tusks. Females do not have tusks but their large incisors can sometimes be seen. Elephant tusks grow at a rate of one inch per year. The trunk has no bones but is made of 40 000 tiny muscles. An elephants skin does not have sweat glands, but is twice its needed size and so the large surface area acts like a giant air conditioning system. The elephant has 4 front toenails and 4-5 back ones. They stick together to form one large nail. An elephants sweat glands are between its toes. The elephant supports 60% of its weight on its front legs 40% on its back legs. The elephant can travel at an average speed of 4kmph. Elephants can walk an average of 30km per day depending on the terrain. Elephants can carry 600 kg on their backs and 150 kg on their necks. Elephants can lift 800 Kg with their trunks. Working elephants have a career of 50 years. They are trained by 2 mahouts one younger one older sometimes a father and son team !! to see it through its whole life. Basic training takes 1 month. Elephants are vegetarians. \r\nElephants consume around 200kg of food a day. \r\nThey are the largest consumers of plants among all terrestrial animals. Elephants can consume around 200 different types of plants. Their favorite foods are banana, bamboo and sugarcane. They eat for an average of 18 hours a day. Elephants drink on average 60 gallons of water a day. Elephants can smell water 9km away. Each suck of a drinking elephant s trunk can take in 5-10 litres of water a time. It is then deposited from the trunk to the mouth. An elephant produces 50kg of dung a day. \r\nA lot of information can be gained from study of the dung: the health of the animal, the sex of the animal and also its location follow the trail of the dung to find the elephant. Elephants only sleep for about 3-4 hours a night, between 11pm 3am. Elephants lay down to sleep if they are found sleeping standing up there is something medically wrong with the elephant. Elephants can only lie on the same side for 45mins.This is because they carry so much weight and it is dangerous for them to lie on one side for too long. So, dirt should be observed on both sides. When sick elephants are found lying down, it is imperative to get them on to their feet as soon as possible. Elephants become sexually active at 15. \r\nPregnancy lasts for 22 months. Elephants need to form a relationship before mating begins. (For more information read section on elephant mating) Babies are born with lots of hair, much of which they never lose. Babies suckle from their mothers for up to 3 years. Separation before this time is detrimental to the physical and emotional health of the baby elephant. First time mothers use the herd for help in raising the child much the same as with humans.