What would happen to the world if elephants went extinct?
Many of the watering holes elephants created will become lagoons with the rains and host an entire ecosystem with fish, waterfowl, crocodiles, and hippos. Or they will hold enough water to give plant life a good start. But birds need water and food. Birds of prey would also disappear.
Why is it important to save Asian elephants?
By protecting elephants, we also protect other animals that live in their habitat. Asian elephants help to maintain the integrity of forest and grassland habitats. Their large size enables the creation of pathways through dense forests along which they travel, which then creates access for other wildlife.
Why is it important to save elephants?
Elephants help maintain forest and savanna ecosystems for other species and are integrally tied to rich biodiversity. Elephants are important ecosystem engineers. They make pathways in dense forested habitat that allow passage for other animals.
Why is the Asian Elephant important?
The Asian elephant plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance in its habitat, by limiting the growth of vegetation and spreading the seeds of plants it feeds on. Elephants have a positive influence on the growth of numerous plant and animal species that share its habitat.
Why are elephants so special?
They are highly intelligent animals with complex emotions, feelings, compassion and self-awareness (elephants are one of very few species to recognize themselves in a mirror!). The gestation period of an elephant is 22 months. That’s almost 2 years, the longest pregnancy of any mammal!
Do elephants really cry?
While this may look superficially like emotional “crying”, it occurs simply because elephants have lost the normal mammalian structures that drain excess moisture away from their eyes; without a true lacrimal structure, elephants are physically unable to produce emotional tears.
Can you befriend an elephant?
Elephants are about as friendly as humans. Which means, they can be incredibly friendly. Also horrendously hostile and violent. Elephants are self-aware animals, and are highly intelligent.
Can elephants talk to each other?
San Diego Zoo scientists have discovered that elephants talk to each other in a secret language. In soon-to-be-published findings, they learned that the giant mammals can communicate using a frequency too low to be heard by humans or their natural predators.
How can you tell if elephants are happy?
A socially excited elephant lifts and rapidly flaps her ears and widens her eyes. Tails: Just like a dog, when an elephant’s tail is swishing from side to side swatting away flies, it is happy. As soon as the tail goes stiff, normally held out to one side, it means that the elephant is anxious.
Where do elephants like to be touched?
With such a sensitive touch in their trunk, elephant sense receptors allow them to feel even the slightest things. Elephants are capable of having an extraordinary sense of touch because of the cells called Pacinian corpuscles. Not only do they have these cells in their trunk, but also on the soles of their feet.
How can you tell if an elephant is sad?
The tail of a relaxed elephant swings from side to side; the tail of an alert or uncomfortable elephant is held still, pointing downwards; and the tail of an upset, frightened or angry elephant is held out stiffly at right angles from the body.