Blogging A to Z: E is for Elephant

A fantastical picture of an elephant and a cat

Blogging A to Z: 

E is for Elephant

by

Wanda Psycho

An elephant is a a mammal. It comes from a subtype of animals known as pachyderms. "Pachydermata" is an obsolete taxonomic order.

Elephants have thick, gray, wrinkled skin. They have a long trunk, which they use to drink water by drawing the water into the trunk and then squirting it into their mouth. They also pick up food items with the trunk, placing the food in their mouth.

Elephants travel in herds in the wild. They are highly intelligent, social animals. Their family groups consist of one or two adult females, and their offspring. 

Unlike what is depicted in this humorous cartoon, elephants do not hatch from eggs. Nor do they have sex with chickens. The females give birth to one or two calves at a time. 

Elephants do not mate for life, but when they choose a female to mate with, they guard her so that no other male can mate with her during that season. 

The gestation of an elephant calf lasts for about two years. After giving birth to a calf, a mother elephant will wait about five years before going into estrus again.

The family group guards the calves, which are initially very vulnerable. A calf will nurse for three or so years. Female elephant calves reach maturity at around age nine, while males mature at age 14-15.

Elephants have lifespans of around 60-70 years.

~Wanda~