Other Free Encyclopedias :: Science Encyclopedia :: Science Encyclopedia Vol 2 :: Elephant - Evolution, Body, Limbs, Head, Mouth And Trunk, Teeth, Ears, Group Structure - Eyes, Social behavior, Death

Elephant - Habitat And Food

Because of their high intelligence level, elephants can adapt to and modify habitat, while their wide range of food choices permits habitation of a diverse range of ecosystems, including forest, woodland, savanna, grassy plains, swampy areas, and sparsely vegetated desert. Unfortunately, because of massive poaching for ivory and the destruction of much of the elephant's natural habitat, most African elephants are now restricted to the protection of national parks. Not so long ago, however, they freely followed age-old seasonal migration routes from one habitat to another.

Elephants need massive quantities of food, perhaps 300–350 lb (136–159 kg) a day, although proportional to their body-weight elephants eat less than mice. The diet of elephants includes roots, bark, grass, leaves, berries, seedpods, and other fruits. Elephants will uproot trees to obtain tasty treats from the top, or delicately pluck a single berry from a branch. Elephants never roam far from water, and will travel great distances in search of it. They may drink up to 50 gal (189 l) of water a day, and after drinking their fill, will splash themselves with water and mud, wash their young, and sometimes just frolic, tossing and squirting water about while their young splash, play, and roll in the mud. Surprisingly, populations of these water-loving creatures may inhabit desert areas, using their tusks and trunk to dig for water under dry river beds. The knowledge of where to find water is handed down from one generation to another.



User Comments Add a comment…

about 1 month ago

I'm doing a school project on elephants thank you so much it helped alot!!!!!

about 1 month ago

Thanks! I am doing a project for school on elephants!! it helped alot!!! You are AMAZING!!!

about 1 month ago

this web is gr8 4 ma hw it was really useful! THANKS AND YOU ROCK!

about 1 month ago

add more info what about elephants eating crops and beig pests?

2 months ago

this is sum good information about these elephants:]!

2 months ago

this is cool

2 months ago

Are you guys all American? Seems that you are b ecause you keep saying American words. I'm from London! GO LONDON.......yayayayayayayayayaay.

2 months ago

god thanks i need this for a 400 word report!!

2 months ago

Thanks 4 the info...could have been better with the habitat, of course thats all i needed but thanks 4 the help. Also it would be great if there was an author so I could cite this right but keep it up!!!

2 months ago

useful, could be betterr, but thaks fer the info, needed it fer a projectt =)

3 months ago

Great info. It really helped me on my rtesearch paper for exploratory :D thanks! Keep up the good work!!

3 months ago

Thanks guys for this material about elephants. I am grade 4. I have to study and make project about them. Have a great day!

3 months ago

i never knew that mice eat more than elephant that is very hard to belive but other than that i really enjoyed reading this

4 months ago

I never knew there was so much information on elephants and how they live, eat, sleep and even things like how much fectal and urine they put out. This and other web sites are amazing. Please keep up the good work. I Love Elephants! Have a great day.

4 months ago

i need to study about there ears for school

4 months ago

verry useful information for my school research paper... but you might want to add more about How They Travel, and just more information over all. but thanks for what you have now....

5 months ago

thanks so much! great info for a research paper for school!

6 months ago

Thanx, im doing a project on elephnts and i had to do a page on their habitat and diet and other stuff but this page really helped me! YOU ROCK

6 months ago

it really helped for my projeect

6 months ago

awseome dude it helps

6 months ago

thanks for the info!! i really love how u helped me with this project!!!

7 months ago

thanks 4 the info. very helping on this project i have. i will definatly spread the word about this wonderful website once again thanks and this wont be my last time visiting it.

7 months ago

Thanks! It was a great help!!

7 months ago

i love elephants and i need it for school 8-]

8 months ago

thanks i couldnt find this info anywhere, very useful

8 months ago

Thanks, I was doing a school project on elephant poaching and I wanted to ready more about their habitat. THis was really good.

8 months ago

ahhh!!! this iz brilliant!! i need this!!=)

8 months ago

Thanks, I needed this for school. It is very useful =]

9 months ago

thanks. this was totally useful.

9 months ago

this is a very useful info i will spread the word

9 months ago

i love elephants thanks for the info

9 months ago

a very useful website, thankyou