🐘 Feeding and Drinking

An elephant’s trunk is vital for them to feed and drink, however it is a common myth that elephants drink and eat through their trunks. Elephants use their trunks to pick up and reach for food before placing it in their mouth. To drink, elephants suck water up into their trunk and then spray it directly into their mouth.

🐘 Scent

Elephants have an incredible sense of smell, able to detect food that is several miles away. Their nostrils are located at the tip of their trunk and contain more smell receptors than any other mammal – including dogs.

🐘 Communication

An elephant’s trunk is essential for communication, elephants have a range of gestures they use their trunks for, including lifting it high to show a perceived threat, slapping their trunks when facing a predator and intertwining trunks with other elephants to show reassurance, kindness and affection. Most vocalisations elephants make are made in their larynx (a hollow tube found in the throat) – making such low frequency sounds that human ears cannot even detect them – however and elephants trumpet is produced by pushing air through their trunk to show when they’re excited, surprised, scared, lost or feeling happy.

How did the elephant get its trunk?

Scientists believe that their trunk started out as a snorkel millions of years ago in a semi-aquatic ancestor. This snorkel-like trunk would have allowed animals to move underwater for long periods of time. Eventually, due to evolution, the trunk became longer and more versatile into the elephant’s trunk we see today.

Images © George Logan / iStock