Elephant

Anatomy

Elephants have a fascinating anatomy uniquely adapted to support their massive size and lifestyle.

Skeleton

• Elephants have a straight back due to their sturdy vertebrae.

• Unlike many mammals, their legs are positioned vertically under the body, like columns, which helps bear their immense weight efficiently.

• They lack a collarbone, allowing greater flexibility in their trunk and forelimb movements.

• They walk on their toes (digitigrade) with bones arranged in a circular pattern within the foot.

Muscles

• The elephant trunk, an elongated fusion of the upper lip and nose, contains over 40,000 muscles (compared to ~600 in the human body).

• Flexible neck muscles compensate for their short neck, giving the trunk greater range of motion.

Nictitating membrane

Did you know that elephants got a nictitating membrane, or third eyelid toprotect the eyes from dust and keep them moist among other things.

Elephants play a key role in forest regeneration

African elephants are sometimes called "ecosystem engineers." When they eat fruit, they disperse seeds through their dung, promoting the growth of plants and trees in different areas. Some plants rely entirely on elephants for seed dispersal.

Their tusks can show "handedness"

Just like humans being left- or right-handed, elephants tend to favor one tusk over the other. The preferred tusk, called the "master tusk," is often shorter and more worn down due to frequent use.