what do elephant eat

The largest land mammal on the earth, weighing up to 16,000 pounds, elephants have captivated observers for centuries. Elephants have been used for labor, war, entertainment and hunting. Elephants are one of the most unique animals due to their enormous size and unusual physical characteristics.This article will answer the question "what do elephant eat?".

Elephants use their trunk to reach up into trees to get food and pluck grass. Because they are such large animals and are herbivores who only eat grass, leaves, other vegetation that is available, African Elephants eat a high quantity of food, more than 700 pounds a day! They have to eat so much because over half of all they consume is passed through their systems undigested.

Elephants have the largest teeth of any animal. Even though they eat so much food,they have only four molar teeth. What they lack in numbers though, they make up in size. Each molar can weigh more than five pounds. With all the food that is eaten, their teeth take a lot of wear and tear and they need to replace their teeth throughout their life, up to six times for some. Their large tusks that extend out in front of them are also teeth, but instead of chewing, these incisor teeth, are used for defense, digging for water and uprooting trees. The ivory of these tusks has long been sought after and the primary reason elephants have been hunted.

Elephants have huge bodies and must eat well to build enough energy to migrate, find food, and survive in the wild. They eat anywhere from 100 to 1,000 pounds of food each day to keep their bodies fueled. However, their bodies cannot digest food very well. Approximately 40% of what an elephant eats is digested; the other 60% is excreted from the body. African elephants eat vegetation that includes grasses, shrubs, and other greenery found in the wild. When elephants are feeding, they often knock down or uproot trees, so they are known as destructive eaters.Learn more about "what do elephant eat" by searching online to get more insight

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