The Elephant

The elephant is the largest living land animal. Elephants are found in Africa, on the Indian subcontinent, and in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. They live in jungles, swampy areas and grasslands. The elephant's skin is loose and wrinkled. It has a trunk or a very long nose. The trunk is flexible but muscular. It is used as an aid in eating and drinking. It is also used for breathing. Elephants can pick up small objects with the trunk. Elephants are greyish to brown in colour and have coarse but sparse body hair. They have long, coarse hair on their tails. Elephants grow up to 7,500 kg in weight and 3 to 4 metres in height. They eat only plants, including grasses. Depending on the availability of food and water, elephants migrate seasonally. Elephants are generally mild in nature.