Elephant

Elephants are the biggest animals that live on land. There are three kinds of elephants alive today. Two kinds live in Africa and one kind lives in Asia. Elephants are the only animals left from their special family. Long ago, their cousins called mammoths and mastodons lived too.

Elephants have many special body parts. They have a long nose called a trunk that can grab things. They have big tusks made of hard material that grow from their teeth. Their ears are very large and help them stay cool. Their legs are thick and strong like pillars. Their skin is gray and tough but very sensitive to touch. African elephants have bigger ears and backs that curve down. Asian elephants have smaller ears and straighter backs.

Elephants live in many places across Africa and Asia. You can find them in grasslands, forests, deserts, and wet areas. They eat only plants and need to stay near water. Elephants live together in family groups. The mothers and babies usually stay together. The oldest mother is the leader and is called the matriarch. When boy elephants grow up, they leave and live alone or with other boys. Elephants can live as long as seventy years. They talk to each other by touching, looking, smelling, and making sounds. They are very smart animals, almost as smart as apes and whales. They seem to know who they are and may feel sad when other elephants die.

Elephants are in danger today. Hunters kill them for their tusks, which is very wrong. Their homes are being destroyed and they fight with people. In Asia, some elephants work for humans. Long ago, they were used in battles. Today, some live in zoos or circuses, which many people think is not fair. Elephants are very important to people everywhere and appear in many stories and art.