Elephants

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(Elephantidae) (altgr. ἐλέφαντ-[eléfant-], stem from ἐλέφᾱς [eléfās], "Elephant") are a family of proboscids.

Elephants are the largest living land animals. At birth to a calf weighs about 100 kilograms. The gestation is 20 to 22 months, the longest of all land mammals. The oldest elephant lived at the zoo from Taipei and was 86 years of age [1] [2]. Depending on the species may be an elephant on average between 2 and 5 tons of body weight and a size of up to 4 meters. The largest known specimen was on 4 April 1978 at the Damaraland (Namibia) erlegter bull, the 4.21 m tall and 10.39 metres long.


Systematics
Today live only three species, all of which are the real elephants. These are:

* African elephant (Loxodonta africana)
* Forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis)
* Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)

In addition, interested kryptozoologisch by a minority of researchers and interested in the dwarf elephant elephant (Loxodonta pumilio) as a kind of suggested this, however, in the professional world is not accepted. It is next to the forest elephants in the tropical rain forest (Gabon, Congo, Cameroon) happen. Its status as a separate kind of turn is by DNA studies now occupies. From artenschutzrechtlicher view is a recognition, however problematic, since the granting of the ivory Artstatus forest elephants trade ban no longer subject.

The only known hybrid between a Elefantenkuh Asian and an African bull elephant at the zoo in 1978 by Chester born. It was a bull calf "Motty". It died, despite intensive care, two weeks after his birth.


Dissemination
The distribution area of the Asian elephant today extends across the entire front and rear India, Ceylon, as well as some of the big Sunda. Previously included large parts of China this area.

The African elephant once lived on the entire African continent today is the northernmost border of its distribution area in the south of Sudan. He now comes in four separate populations: In the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa, West Africa, in the northern Namibia (South West Africa) and the Central African tropical rain forest. In southern Africa, however, he is on the protective zones of the national parks is limited; there, the stocks through various protective measures, in particular by the worldwide ban on the ivory trade, as strong increases that the "sustainability" of these areas has been significantly exceeded. Particularly significant is the example in the Chobe National Park in Botswana: Instead of naravo classified as a number of 5,000 elephants live here now over 25,000 animals.

The forest elephant living in the rain forests of West Africa, including in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.

All still live elephants are highly endangered in their constituents, as their habitat shrinks and they consistently to the most recent time because of their valuable ivory tusks existing hunted.


Anatomy
Since the different types of elephants a different number thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and tail vertebrae, is an elephant skeleton from 326 to 351 bone.

Approximately 394 skeletal muscles move the elephant body. The internal organs of the elephant are in the ratio no greater than for other mammals. The brain weighs about four to five kilograms, the heart - depending on age - between 12 and 21 kilograms. It is about 30 times per minute. The blood volume is equivalent to about 10% of body weight. The body temperature of a healthy elephant is approximately 36.5 ° C. All muscles, organs and bones are supported by a strong and thick skin together, about two-inch thick.
Unlike most other mammals is the mammary glands at the elephant cows, as is the case with humans, primates and cetaceans, between the Vorderextremitäten. In order for the elephant calf at birth gently on the earth falls, is the birthplace opening not under the tail approach, but between the hind legs. This reduces the height of the birth of about 1.70 m to 70 cm.


Elephants have two types of teeth. For a shock to the upper jaw teeth changed incisors and the molars [5]. When chewing, only the front teeth. Are these worn, grow from the back teeth by the next prileganje začetnih resorption and bone of the jaw and face the old teeth. An elephant gets it in his life, six times new teeth. [6]. If an elephant consume them all, he must starve. Meanwhile, there are successful tests, dentures for elephants session.

The existing ivory tusks are primarily to Entrinden of trees and as a weapon against enemies, with tusks longer than Imponiergehabe the real battle.

While it since at least the late part believed that no elephants elbow and knee joints had [8], we know now that this just totally free. [9] The knee joint of the elephant shows an extended rest position, so that the angle when standing between the thigh and shin nearly 180 °. This is for Quadrupeden unusual, but otherwise it is only when bipeden humans. There are other parallels: the upper joint of the big elephant shows similarity with that of the people, as well as the Meniski, which are very narrow and thin, and the cross band system, which also is available. The movement patterns of the gewichtstragenden rear limbs also recall more to the people than to cursoriale Quadrupeden. The main motion of the knee is an extension-flexion with an action radius of 142 °. In advanced age, the knee joints susceptible to osteoarthritis. [10] elephants are Zehenspitzengänger.

Pleuraspalt their concerns. As the only mammal in the world is not filled with fluid, but by connective tissue membrane. This is the Pleurablätter still sliding against, but by far not so sensitive, as is the case with the flüssigkeitsgefüllten variant of the case. This allows, for example Dickhäutern to cross a river while its long proboscis to "snorkel". Here they breathe air with an atmospheric pressure, while her body and especially the lungs brief two meters under water. The enormous pressure difference would with any other mammal (with "normal" Pleuraspalt) cause the blood vessels, the Pleuraspalt with fluid supply, formally "squeezed out" and would be destroyed. That would lead to death, as the lung, without stopping, simply collapsed.

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