The Elegant Elephant Trivia Quiz

Answer: Musth

All adult elephant bulls go through periodic episodes of elevated testosterone levels and feelings of aggression known as musth. Bulls in musth can be easily recognized by the large amounts of thick fluid draining down the sides of their heads just behind their eyes.

Many bulls will also leak urine and drain fluid on their hind legs. Some of the more unusual behaviors seen on elephants during musth include constant ear waving in order to spread their scent and large amounts of rumbling in order to announce his presence.

Some work elephants must be chained up in order to keep them from running away and attacking other, smaller elephants.

Answer: Borneo

The pygmy elephants of Borneo are miniature versions of the Asiatic elephant. They are somewhat baby-faced with large ears. They are more rounded than their larger cousin and have tails that are so long that they often drag on the ground. They are also calmer and less aggressive, and sport shorter, straighter tusks. DNA studies have shown that they became isolated approximately 300,000 years ago and are probably the result of insular dwarfism.

Answer: Tooth erosion

Elephants in the wild can live for over 60 years. Some of the oldest elephants die due to their teeth grinding away. They become unable to eat, and will starve to death. Elephants have six sets of teeth in the same way that humans have two sets. New teeth come in as needed at the back of the mouth and move forward, pushing old teeth out. Once the sixth set of teeth is lost, the animal will die.

The image for this question depicts some of the different types of teeth of the elephant.

Answer: Matriarch

Elephants live in large family groups called herds which are lead by a female called the matriarch. When the herd becomes too large or food becomes scarce, the matriarch will often break up her herd into smaller groups to improve the chances of survival for all. Males leave their family herd at about 14 years old and either venture out alone or join a bachelor herd.

Answer: Suck its trunk

The elephant trunk is an amazingly versatile body part. It is used to lift, carry, fight, and simply to breathe. Mother elephants coax their newborn calves into a standing position by using their trunk. Elephant calves have been seen sucking on their tiny trunks in the same way that a human baby sucks its finger or thumb. The action appears to provide comfort and a feeling of security.

Answer: True

Sadly, this is true. Western culture's handling of the elegant elephant has not been pristine. This early films the execution of Topsy, a young female elephant who had been found guilty of killing a drunken circus spectator after he deliberately burned her with his cigar.

The execution was a publicity stunt for the new Coney Island Luna Park. To top it off, the person who created the contraption used to kill this elephant was the great American inventor Thomas Edison. He also threw the switch. It was not one of his finer moments.

Answer: They have very poor eyesight.

Elephants have very poor eyesight. Their eyes are small, and because of their position and the size of an elephant's head, they have severely limited peripheral vision. They have a range of about 25 ft. (7.6m). Their vision is slightly better when in the forest shade.

Answer: On the front part of its back.

A mahout is an elephant rider, keeper, and trainer. This is usually a family profession in which training starts early. As a young boy, a male is assigned a young elephant. They are trained as a pair together and remain bonded throughout the rest of their lives.

Answer: Elephants are born with tusks.

Elephant tusks are elongated incisors that extend from the elephant's upper jaw. They are used to dig for food, peel tree bark, and sometimes, to battle with. Elephants are either left-tusked or right-tusked, in the same way that humans are left-handed or right-handed. Calves start to sprout their tusks about the age of two. Tusks continue to grow for the rest of the animals life. All African elephants, male and female have tusks, while some Asian female elephants sport tiny tusks known as tushes.

They are not real tusks as they do not have any pulp inside. While, the tusks of an elephant are a flamboyant sign of their dominance, they are major cause of their population decline. Thousands of elephants were slaughtered in the 20th century simply to procure their ivory tusks.

Answer: Behind its ear.

Behind the ears of an elephant is one of the softest parts of their body. Known as its knuckle, mahouts use pressure on this part of the elephant to steer or while giving commands to an elephant.