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Learn surprising details that reveal just how fascinating elephants really are. From their ability to smell water miles away, to their tendency to get infants drunk, to mourning their dead for years, this article shares uncommon facts that showcase the wonders and peculiarity of these gentle giants.
Here are 18 uncommon facts about elephants:
1. Elephants have a highly developed sense of smell and can smell water up to 6 miles away. Their trunk acts like a smell and touch organ.
2. Elephant babies are drunk. Colostrum contains compounds that get elephant babies high during first feeds.
3. Elephants can't jump. Their weight and body structure prevents them from being able to jump.
4. Elephants only sleep for 2-4 hours per day. They take many short naps throughout the day instead of long periods of sleep.
5. Elephants produce a "special" loud noise below human hearing range to communicate with other elephants many miles away.
6. Elephants mourn their dead and may visit graves for years afterward. They show great emotion and care for the dead. They have been known to stay with the body of a deceased elephant for hours or even days, touching and caressing it with their trunks as if to say goodbye.
7. Elephants' tusks never stop growing. They grow about 6 inches every year.
8. Elephants have excellent memories and can remember locations of food and water sources from years past.
9. Elephant herds are matriarchal. The oldest female leads the pack and makes decisions for the whole herd.
10. Only female elephants have tusks. Male elephants have enlarged incisor teeth in their lower jaws called tusks.
11. Elephants are one of the few animals that can recognize themselves in a mirror, indicating a level of self-awareness.
12. Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth and can weigh up to 22,000 pounds.
13. Elephants communicate with each other using a variety of sounds, including trumpets, grunts, and chirps, as well as low-frequency rumbles that can travel long distances.
14. Elephants have a long lifespan, with some living up to 70 years in the wild.
15. Elephants are excellent swimmers and can use their trunks as snorkels while crossing deep rivers.
16. Elephants have a unique way of cooling down in hot weather by using their ears like fans and flapping them to create a breeze.
17. Elephants have a complex social structure and form close bonds with family members, often staying together for life.
18. Elephants are a keystone species, meaning their presence is crucial to maintaining the balance of their ecosystem. Their feeding habits and ability to create habitats through their movement help support a diverse range of plant and animal life.
