Asian elephant
Do you have the memory of an elephant? If so it's time to check with these amazing elephant facts.
- Unlike African elephants, only male Asian elephants grow tusks. These are actually elongated teeth.
- Females can have what look like tusks, but these in fact are called ‘tushes’. Unlike the tusks males have, which can grow several feet in length, tushes will only grow a few inches out of a female’s mouth.
- Elephants actually get through a lot of teeth through all the grinding they do to eat their food – they go through up to 6 sets of teeth in a life time.
- Male Asian elephants can weigh up to 6 tonnes!
- Elephants have between 40 000 and 100 000 muscles in their trunks, which is more than we have in our entire bodies! An elephant's trunk is sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass, yet strong enough to rip the branches off a tree.
Adopt Karishma
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo's super intelligent Asian elephant.
Sociable Karishma loves hanging around with her friends in their lovely green paddocks, especially with her best friend Maya.
