Tag: trunk

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The greater kudu of South Africa has tawny-brown to grey-brown coats with distinctive white stripes running down on its flanks. They have a white V-shaped band across the eyes and forehead with white spots on their cheeks. There are strong physical differences between males and females. The males grow long, spiral horns that can reach up to 1,8 m in length. The kudu bull’s horns reach full length at the age of six years old, and males are significantly larger than females. Bulls can weigh as much as 300 kg with a shoulder height of 1.4 m and cows weigh 210 kg with a shoulder height of 1.25 m. Kudu have long manes of hair that run on its back from head to tail and along the lower neck to the underbelly. A kudu herd tends to split up into two sub-groups. Young females remain with their mothers, while sexually mature males around the age of two years old form bachelor groups. Kudu males will join the female herds during mating season. No territorial spacing exists amongst bulls, but as they show age in their physical appearance, they have size-graded dominant hierarchies.
Info source: http://southafrica.co.za/kudu.html
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The photo was taken during January 2015 at Mabula Private Game Reserve, Rooiberg, Bela-Bela, Limpopo, South Africa.

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1. An elephant trunk contains 40 000 different muscles.
The human body only contains 639! This gives us an idea of the immense complexity of this amazing appendage.
2. The elephant trunk is by far the most versatile appendage on the planet
It is used to breathe, drink, eat, smell, snorkel, communicate – as well as being used as a ‘hand’ to touch, feel, hold, grab, pull etc.
3. The trunk is both extremely delicate and extremely strong.
The African elephant has two finger-like tips at the end of its trunk that it uses to clasp smaller objects. The trunk is so delicate it is at times used to wipe or clean their eyes. On the other hand, the trunk is an extremely powerful tool that can pull out trees and lift up to 350 kg (770 lb).
4. Elephants are either left or right-handed.
Baby elephants are born not knowing how to use their trunks, much like baby humans are unable to use their arms and hands. They often stumble over their trunks for the first couple of days, but soon their trunks grow considerably and they gain control. Interestingly, elephants show a preference between grasping objects to the left or right, in the same way, that children are left or right-handed.
5. The elephant’s sense of smell is estimated to be four times that of a bloodhound and they can smell water from miles away.
Info source: https://www.kariega.co.za/blog/elephant-trunks-close-up-photo-and-5-interesting-facts
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The photo was taken during September 2017 near Transport Dam, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

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Identifying elephants isn’t difficult, but it requires using powers of observation and it takes a bit of practice. There are many different characteristics that you can use to identify an elephant: sex; body size; shape; length and configuration of the tusks; size and shape of the ears; ear venation patterns; notches, tears, holes in the ears. An elephant’s tail can also be used to distinguish an individual.
What to look for when using the tail to identify African elephants:
1. Some elephants have what we call a “kinky tail”
2. Others have an unusually “short tail”
3. A few have “half tails” having been bitten by hyenas when they were calves.
4. Still, others have been bitten and left with “no tail” at all.
Info source: https://www.elephantvoices.org/features-guide.html?id=819
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The photo was taken during February 2017 at Mabula Private Game Reserve, Bela-Bela, Limpopo, South Africa.

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