How Do Elephants Survive
It’s also quite common to see these gentle giants swim in groups as form of a social activity and to stay cool from the hot sun. Amongst scientists, Elephants are believed to be swimming from one island to another in order to find a mate or to simply explore their habitat. It is interesting to note that elephants are the only mammal that can float without any floating devices.
Calves will suck water into their trunks and spray each other playfully. Elephants also love to cool themselves by having a mud bath. They will scoop wet soil from the bottom of a lake or the river and spray it on to their body to get respite from heat. Despite being that heavy, elephants can swim. Actually, all species of elephants are great swimmers.
With both of these examples at hand, it’s hard to say anything else other than that elephants are able to swim long distances. The elephants four legs are used to propel them through the water. Their legs are so powerful that they can swim continuously for as long as six hours! An elephant’s head and torso are generally kept just below the surface of the water as it paddles its massive limbs back and forth on a typical swim. Elephants use their trunk as a snorkel while swimming.
However, African and Asian elephants are some of the few mammals that have learned how to swim. When male elephants leave the herd between the ages of 12-15, female elephants form their own groups led by a matriarch. In these herds, they form a hierarchy based on age and generational knowledge of safe and verdant spaces for food and water. These herds form tight social bonds that elicit strong emotions like grief and distress within members when their family members are injured or threatened. Elephants have even been observed mourning unfamiliar dead by stroking carcasses they pass in the wild. Elephants can swim for long distances.
Elephants can swim in both deep and shallow, fresh or saltwater. Elephants will suck water partially up their trunk, and then use it elephant to pour the water down in their mouth. This way, they can take more than 3 gallons of water at once. They can use this water for drinking or showering. The water never goes all the way up the trunk, and they cant drink using the trunk alone. Elephant social interactions are combined with play starting at an early age.
Despite their weight, elephants are fine swimmers – an exercise they thoroughly enjoy. They can go for 30 miles and for six continuous hours. Beautiful elephant mother river outdoor leisure.
Although the calf will eventually gain full control of its trunk, it won’t happen until it is several months old. It takes calves time to learn to use them, and at first they often tread on their own trunks. Elephants are the strongest animals alive, and can lift up to 770 pounds with their trunks.
Regulate their body temperatures through rolling in mud or taking a swim. When an elephant gets into water or mud, they store that material in their skin. This helps their bodies stay cool, protects them from the sun and keeps parasites away. That is one of the reasons why you tend to see elephants around watering holes.
Elephants’ ears are perfectly designed to keep them cool. They’re covered with a fine network of blood vessels that allows heat to dissipate when temperatures rise. Jonathan simultaneously completed degrees from Brooks Institute of Photography and Virginia Tech in commercial photography and mass communications, respectively. His work has won numerous awards including the prestigious PDN and Communication Arts photography annual competitions.