The length of an elephant's tusks reflects whether the animal is left- or right-handed?
Elephants are the heaviest land animals on earth. In nature there are two types of elephants: the Asian and the African. The Asian elephants are smaller and have a straighter back compared to the heavier African elephant with a sloping back. The African elephant has two subspecies: the savannah elephant and the forest elephant. Elephants are herbivores, or plant eaters. They love to eat grasses, leaves, shrubs and fruit. In African elephants, both males and females have tusks. This is different in the Asian elephant, where only male individuals develop tusks.
What is a tusk?
An elephant's tusks are continuous growing incisors from the upper jaw. They continue to grow throughout their lives.
What do elephants use their tusks for?
Well, elephants love the bark and bark of trees. The bark is the outer layer of the bark and protects the tree against external influences. However, a tree cannot withstand a 6-ton elephant with a trunk of 150,000 muscles. The elephant makes an up and down motion over the bark and continues to rub until it comes loose. The tree is often pushed out of the ground and falls. The tree will eventually die and become food for all kinds of animals.
In addition, the elephant uses its tusks to defend itself during fights and when digging for water.
Left-handed elephant | Right-handed elephant |
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