The African bush elephant is the largest land animal in the world The tallest elephant ever measured 13 feet 4 m from its feet to its shoulders This male weighed 24,000 pounds 10,886 kg That is approximately the weight of 24 horses Most African bush elephants do not grow that large Bulls or males weigh around 14,000 pounds 6,350 kg Cows or females weigh around 7,000 pounds 3,175 kg Elephants ears are around one sixth the size of their TERRIFIC TUSKS All elephants have two ivory tusks These long curved teeth never stop growing Older bulls can have tusks that measure eight feet 2 4 m long The biggest tusks weighed more than 226 pounds 103 kg Tusks of this size are no longer found on elephants Poachers have killed the biggest elephants for their ivory African elephants ears are shaped like the continent of Africa AFRICAN BUSH ELEPHANTS MIGHTY GIANTS 1 4
bodies Elephants also have huge brains bigger than any other land mammal Their brains weigh between 10 and 12 pounds 4 5 and 5 4 kg Besides being enormous mother elephants also have a longer pregnancy than any other mammal They can be pregnant for up to 22 months Newborn elephants are gigantic A calf weighs approximately 250 pounds 113 kg at birth That is around the same size as an adult giant panda Calves grow quickly from drinking their mother’s milk They gain approximately three pounds 1 4 kg each day during their first year Adult elephants have a giant appetite They spend 16 hours a day eating food as they roam across Africa’s savannas Adults chow down on approximately 300 pounds 136 kg of plants each day 150,000 Number of muscles in an elephant’s trunk Elephants use their trunks to smell breathe trumpet grab and greet friends An elephant’s trunk can grow to seven feet 2 1 m long Elephants have four molars each of which can weigh five pounds 2 3 kg Calves drink their mother’s milk until they are three years old 5
The blue whale is the biggest animal that ever lived on Earth These marine mammals stretch up to 100 feet 30 m long That is approximately the length of three school buses Blue whales can weigh more than 200 tons 181 metric tons That equals the weight of 2,667 adult humans Everything about blue whales is huge Their tongues weigh nearly 6,000 pounds 2,722 kg about as heavy as an Asian elephant Blue whales hearts are around the size Blue whales are even larger than the biggest dinosaurs BLUE WHALES ARE EARTH’S BIGGEST ANIMAL 2 6
and weight of a small car And some of their blood vessels are so large that a human could swim through them A female blue whale gives birth to a jumbo-sized calf The 25-foot 7 6-m calf is born tail first Calves weigh up to three tons 2 7 metric tons at birth They drink 50 gallons 189 L of their mother’s milk each day That helps them to gain 10 pounds 4 5 kg per hour They can put on 250 pounds 113 kg per day Adult blue whales swim the world’s oceans They search for their favorite food krill Whales gulp down four tons 3 6 metric tons of these tiny shrimp-like creatures each day THINK ABOUT IT What gigantic animals once lived on Earth Why did they go extinct How might you research the answers to these questions Think of a way to present the facts you discover to your classmates 9,000 Number of blue whales that remain in oceans A blue whale’s tail measures around 25 feet 7 6 m wide The spout discharged through a blowhole can reach almost 33 feet 10 m high Blue whales are the loudest animals on Earth and can be noisier than a jet Some blue whales raise their tail flukes when they dive down in search of food 7
