African Forest Elephant: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Horns and Trunks · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Forest elephants are top seed planters: every day they drop on average 346 big seeds per km², and carry about a third of them more than 5 km.
2. A forest elephant family walks about 7.8 km a day, within a home range that can reach 2,000 km².
3. Forest elephants' daily treks make permanent trails linking fruit trees, mineral licks and clearings. Other animals, even humans, reuse them.
4. Forest elephants have straight, pink tusks that point downward. They use them to push through thick undergrowth.
5. With an average shoulder height of 2.16 m, the forest elephant is the smallest of the three living elephant species.

The quiz

1. On average, how many large seeds do forest elephants drop per km² each day?

• 346 (correct)
• 34
• 3,460
• 10

They drop on average 346 big seeds per km² every day.

2. About how far does a forest elephant family walk in a day?

• About 78 km
• About 0.78 km
• About 7.8 km (correct)
• About 200 km

Family groups walk about 7.8 km a day.

3. What do the permanent elephant trails link?

• Rivers and oceans
• Fruit trees, mineral licks and clearings (correct)
• Villages and cities
• Caves and mountains

The trails link fruit trees, mineral licks and clearings.

4. What colour are forest elephant tusks?

• Black
• Bright yellow
• Green
• Pink (correct)

Their tusks are pink, straight and point downward.

5. What is the average shoulder height of a forest elephant?

• About 2.16 m (correct)
• About 21.6 m
• About 0.216 m
• About 5 m

Its average shoulder height is 2.16 m, the smallest of the living elephants.

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