Elephants

1.African elephants live in many kinds of habitat: marsh, forest, savannah, and semidesert.

2.An African elephant can weigh more than 6 tons (5,443 kilograms) and stand as tall as 12 feet (4 meters) at the shoulder.

3.African elephants eat mainly roots, leaves, fruit, grasses, and bark.

4.One elephant can eat 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of food in one day.

5.Because of their size, adult African elephants have no enemies other than people.

6.Calves, however, may fall prey to lions, crocodiles, and other meat-eaters.

7.African elephants roam great distances to find enough food. Adult females and young travel in herds, while adult males generally travel alone or in groups of their own.

8.Elephants can live to be about 70 years old.

9.Of all animals, elephants have the longest pregnancy—it lasts 22 months.

10.Elephant tusks are ivory teeth that grow throughout the animals’ lives.