Interestingly, elephants gentle giants that you would definitely love to know more about. Their physical and social attributes are truly fascinating! For starters, did you know that a single elephant tooth can weigh as much as 9 pounds? Wow,...
Interestingly, elephants gentle giants that you would definitely love to know more about. Their physical and social attributes are truly fascinating! For starters, did you know that a single elephant tooth can weigh as much as 9 pounds? Wow, that’s as heavy as a human baby!
Elephants are the world’s largest land animals. During their adult lives, they will have four molars and each of these is located in each jaw. Later in life, a single molar can be 10-12 inches long and can weigh more than 3.6 kg. The molar of an elephant is perfect for grinding because it is wide and flat.
While for humans, teeth are produced from the top and bottom of the mouth, in elephants, they develop from the back and move forward. During its lifetime, an elephant can have six sets of molars. Usually, the final set erupts when the animal is in its early forties and will last the rest of its life. After these last sets of molars smoothen and break down, the elephant will have trouble chewing and digesting food, which in turn will begin to lead to a decline in the animal’s overall well-being that leads to starvation and malnutrition as a result.
The body of the elephant has many different characteristics, as it is so big and heavy. An elephant’s legs are in an almost vertical position under the body, much like the legs on a table. This design offers great assistance for the huge body and immense weight the legs will bear. This also allows elephants to sleep while standing without the possibility of collapsing their legs.
The post The Tale of An Elephant’s Tooth appeared first on Animal Rescue Professionals Association.