Elephant

A trunk that does everything

An elephant’s trunk is a fusion of its nose and upper lip, controlled by an estimated 40,000 muscles. It can pluck a single blade of grass, uproot a tree, suck up 8 liters of water, trumpet, smell, snorkel through deep water, and serve as a greeting and social tool between herd members.

Two African species

What was long considered a single species is now recognized as two: the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) of the savannas, and the smaller, darker African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) of the Congo Basin. The forest elephant is critically endangered.

Matriarchy

Herds are led by the oldest, most experienced female — the matriarch. She holds memorized knowledge of water holes, migration routes, and dangers, accumulated over decades. Studies have shown that herds led by older matriarchs have better survival rates during droughts because of this institutional knowledge.

Tusks and threats

Both sexes of African elephants grow tusks — elongated upper incisors used for digging, debarking trees, and defense. Ivory poaching has driven the species toward population collapse: African elephant numbers fell from 1.3 million in 1979 to under 415,000 today. Some populations are now genetically selecting for tusklessness — females born without tusks are more likely to survive.

Communication

Elephants communicate over long distances using infrasound, low-frequency rumbles below human hearing that can travel up to 10 km through the air and even further through the ground, sensed through their feet.