kenyaView
kenyaView
Elephant 1/7
A large male elephant can weigh over 6,000kg, and a large female, 3,500kg. The elephant is not a ruminant, and uses bacteria in the cecum at the rear of the digestive system to break down cellulose, like other non-ruminant herbivores such as zebra, rhinos, hippos and camels. An adult elephant needs 140 to 270kg of food a day, a huge quantity which can cause severe environmental damage where supplies are not adequate. The elephant eats all day long if it can. Most of this food is grasses, but fruit, leaves and seeds are also taken. The inefficient digestive system means as much as 60% of this food passes through the elephant undigested, and provides food for birds and beetles.
Elephant groups consist of related females and their children.