Introduction
The largest land mammal on earth, the African elephant weighs up to eight tons. The elephant is distinguished by its massive body, large ears and a long trunk, which has many uses ranging from using it as a hand to pick up objects, as a horn to trumpet warnings, an arm raised in greeting to a hose for drinking water or bathing.
Asian elephants differ in several ways from their African relatives. They are much smaller in size and their ears are straight at the bottom, unlike the large fan-shape ears of the African species. Only some Asian male elephants have tusks. All African elephants, including females, have tusks. Elephants are either left or right-tusked and the one they use more is usually smaller because of wear and tear. The Asian elephant has four toes on the hind foot and five on the forefoot, while the African elephant has three on the hind foot and five on the forefoot.
Led by a matriarch, elephants are organized into complex social structures of females and calves, while male elephants tend to live in isolation. A single calf is born to a female once every 4-5 years and after a gestation period of 22 months—the longest of any mammal. These calves stay with their mothers for years and are also cared for by other females in the group.
The two species of elephants—African and Asian—need extensive land to survive. Roaming in herds and consuming hundreds of pounds of plant matter in a single day, both species of elephant require extensive amounts of food, water and space. As a result, these large mammals place great demands on the environment and often come into conflict with people in competition for resources.
Task
Research everything you can find about elephants and how they live. make write a paper about elephants and what they mean to you and then draw and elephant as best as you can and around the elephant write everything that is unique about them.
Process
- Go on the internet and research elephants
- find an elephant you what to talk about
- write down the unique information about elephants like where thy live, what they eat, how they sleep etc.
- type a paper about the research you found and what you think about elepants
- draw an elephant and write information you found online around the elephant to give people an isea what you have learned.
Evaluation
- 15 points for research
- 10 points for pre-writing
- 15 points for typed paper
- 10 points for drawing
- 1o points for work cited
Total points= 60 points
Conclusion
Of the two species, African elephants are divided into two subspecies (savannah and forest), while the Asian elephant is divided into four subspecies (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumatran and Borneo). Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years, they have been domesticated and are used for religious festivals, transportation and to move heavy objects.
Elephants are unique elephants and deserve to be learned about and helped. With this research you can find new things out about elephants and how you can help.
Credits
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant
animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-elephant