ONLINE VACATION

AFRICAN ELEPHANT ON AFRICAN SAFARI

8/19/13

HI EVERYONE - YESTERDAY, WE WERE CHECKING OUT STONEHENGE IN ENGLAND.
TODAY, WE ARE GOING ON AN AFRICAN SAFARI. LOOK WHAT
IS STANDING OVER THERE. I SEE 2 AFRICAN ELEPHANTS.
OUR GUIDE IS GOING TO TELL US ABOUT THEM.

THEY ARE THE LARGEST LAND ANIMALS ON EARTH. THEIR EARS
RADIATE HEAT TO HELP KEEP THE LARGE ANIMAL COOL.
THEY ARE FOND OF WATER AND ENJOY SHOWERING BY SUCKING
WATER INTO THEIR TRUNK AND SPRAYING IT ALL OVER THEIR BODY.
AFTERWARD, THEY OFTEN SPRAY THEIR SKIN WITH A PROTECTIVE LAYER OF DUST.

THE ELEPHANT'S TRUNK IS ACTUALLY A LONG NOSE USED
FOR SMELLING, BREATHING, TRUMPETING, DRINKING AND GRABBING THINGS
TO FEED THEMSELVES. THE TRUNK ALONE CONTAINS ABOUT
100,000 DIFFERENT MUSCLES. AFRICAN ELEPHANTS HAVE TWO FINGER-LIKE
FEATURES ON THE END OF THEIR TRUNK,
USED TO GRAB SMALL ITEMS.

BOTH MALE AND FEMALES HAVE TUSKS THEY USE TO DIG
FOR FOOD AND WATER AND STRIP BARK FROM TREES.
ELEPHANTS EAT ROOTS, GRASSES, FRUIT AND BARK. THEY CAN EAT
UP TO 300 POUNDS OF FOOD IN A SINGLE DAY.
THEY DON'T SLEEP MUCH AND ROAM AROUND GREAT DISTANCES.

THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF AN AFRICAN ELEPHANT IN THE WILD
IS UP TO 70 YEARS. THEIR WEIGHT IS BETWEEN
5,000 TO 14,000 POUNDS FOR AN ADULT. ELEPHANT COWS
PREGNANCY IS USUALLY ABOUT 22 MONTHS. AT BIRTH,
THE BABY WEIGHS ABOUT 200 POUNDS.

WELL, THE ELEPHANTS HAVE WALKED OFF NOW TO
FIND SOME WATER. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED LEARNING
ABOUT THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT ON OUR AFRICAN SAFARI.

~MARSHA~

Information from various sites

This is a MelloMarsha creation

I do not take credit for the pictures

Thanks to the respective photographers

9-24-13

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