tusks Archives - Page 6 of 12

Swish

An elephant’s tail can be as long as 1.3 m and is tipped by a series of very coarse, wire-like hairs. They have an extraordinary degree of control over tail movement and use them like a fly swat against insects. 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. At this point, it may even start to run from you, normally swivelling over its shoulder to keep an eye on you as it tries to get away.

5 November 2018Picture of the day, Wildlife

Jubilant

Hippos are remarkably agile and aggressive. They occasionally kill or scavenge impala, kudu and buffalo. Sometimes they even kill humans. On nightly sojourns out of the water, hippos trek miles to nibble on tasty vegetation – including crops, making humans and hippos uneasy neighbours. Most grazers rely on sharp incisors to carefully nip the top of vegetation. Hippos do have lengthy incisors and canines but their purpose is combat, not grass mowing. These mammals have to clip grass with their lips.

26 September 2018Picture of the day, Wildlife

Creased

An elephant’s skin is generally very tough, at 2.5 cm (1 in) thick on the back and parts of the head. The skin around the mouth and inside the ear is considerably thinner. Elephants typically have grey skin, but African elephants look brown or reddish after wallowing in coloured mud. An elephant uses mud as a sunscreen, protecting its skin from ultraviolet light. Although tough, an elephant’s skin is very sensitive. Without regular mud baths to protect it from burning, insect bites and moisture loss, an elephant’s skin suffers serious damage. After bathing, the elephant will usually use its trunk to blow dust onto its body and this dries into a protective crust.

13 September 2018Picture of the day, Wildlife