Today’s Wiki Corner is inspired by yesterday’s Impossible Question. The question was: According to a new poll, 20% of people believe they could outrun this animal. The answer was elephant! And that got me thinking…is that possible? Elephants can move surprisingly fast, up to 25 mph! The fastest person on the planet, Usain Bolt, can run just barely faster, at 27.5 mph. So it’s safe to say that it’s not likely you could outrun an elephant!
Elephants are the largest land animal. They’re found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Their trunks are powerful enough to lift up to 770 lbs, but it also has the precision to crack a peanut shell without damaging the peanut. Elephants use their trunks to reach items up to 23 feet high and to suck up water. Their trunks are also a sense organ – an elephant’s sense of smell may be four times greater than a bloodhound’s! Similar to how humans are right or left-handed, elephants are usually right or left-tusked. You can tell which is the dominant tusk because it’s typically more worn down, shorter, and blunter.
Elephants have one of the most closely knit societies of any living species. Females spend their entire lives in tight-knit matrilineal family groups. They are led by a matriarch, often the oldest female. Calves are the center of attention in their family groups and rely on their mothers for as long as 3 years. Males leave the family group when they reach puberty and can live alone or with other males.
Elephants are also one of the world’s smartest animals. They have a wide range of behaviors, including those associated with grief, memory, learning, tool use, compassion, cooperation, and self awareness. Elephants can also be quite musical, able to remember tone and recognize more than 20 words. An elephant at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. named Shanthi displayed the ability to play the harmonica and various horn instruments. She reportedly always ended her songs with a crescendo!