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88-462: Some EDGE species, such as elephants and pandas , are well-known and already receive considerable conservation attention, but many others, such as the vaquita (the world's rarest cetacean ) the bumblebee bat (arguably the world's smallest mammal) and the egg-laying l ong-beaked echidnas , are highly threatened yet remain poorly understood, and are frequently overlooked by existing conservation frameworks. The Zoological Society of London launched

176-416: A gestational period of about five months. Litter sizes range from 6 to 23 pups with an average of 12. The pups are usually 43 – 61 cm long at birth, and their rostral teeth are not fully developed, being covered by a membrane, which prevents them from damaging the mother's tissues. Only two studies have been conducted on the age and growth of the narrow sawfish. The longest-lived narrow sawfish found

264-575: A phylogeny , or evolutionary tree. ED scores are calculated relative to a clade of species descended from a common ancestor. The three clades for which the EDGE of Existence Programme has calculated scores are all classes , namely mammals , amphibians , and corals . The phylogenetic tree has the most recent common ancestor at the root, all the current species as the leaves, and intermediate nodes at each point of branching divergence . The branches are divided into segments (between one node and another node,

352-458: A 90-day review on March 7, 2011, stating that action may be warranted for five of the six species. Information available at the time indicated that the common sawfish was not a valid species. On June 4, 2013, the NMFS published a proposal that concluded all five sawfish species were at high risk for extinction . The proposal listed habitat loss, water quality, and overutilization as the biggest threats to

440-409: A Y. The female's clitoris may be 40 cm (16 in). The vulva is found lower than in other herbivores, between the hind legs instead of under the tail. Determining pregnancy status can be difficult due to the animal's large belly. The female's mammary glands occupy the space between the front legs, which puts the suckling calf within reach of the female's trunk. Elephants have a unique organ,

528-418: A considerable threat to narrow sawfish. Pregnant females and juveniles are at the highest risk for this threat. Additionally, the narrow sawfish has high post-release mortality, exacerbated by the difficulty of removing sawfish from fishing equipment. Habitat loss and water pollution are also threats to the narrow sawfish. Coastal development, coastline urbanisation, and an expanding mining industry result in

616-449: A day. Elephants tend to stay near water sources. They have morning, afternoon, and nighttime feeding sessions. At midday, elephants rest under trees and may doze off while standing. Sleeping occurs at night while the animal is lying down. Elephants average 3–4 hours of sleep per day. Both males and family groups typically move no more than 20 km (12 mi) a day, but distances as far as 180 km (112 mi) have been recorded in

704-504: A faster gait similar to running. In walking, the legs act as pendulums, with the hips and shoulders moving up and down while the foot is planted on the ground. The fast gait does not meet all the criteria of running, since there is no point where all the feet are off the ground, although the elephant uses its legs much like other running animals, and can move faster by quickening its stride. Fast-moving elephants appear to 'run' with their front legs, but 'walk' with their hind legs and can reach

792-494: A human brain. It is the largest of all terrestrial mammals. While the elephant brain is larger overall, it is proportionally smaller than the human brain . At birth, an elephant's brain already weighs 30–40% of its adult weight. The cerebrum and cerebellum are well developed, and the temporal lobes are so large that they bulge out laterally. Their temporal lobes are proportionally larger than those of other animals, including humans. The throat of an elephant appears to contain

880-523: A leaf, or the root). Each segment is assigned an ED score defined as the timespan it covers (in millions of years) divided by the number of species at the end of the subtree it forms. The ED of a species is the sum of the ED of the segments connecting it to the root. Thus, a long branch which produces few species will have a high ED, as the corresponding species are relatively distinctive, with few close relatives. ED metrics are not exact, because of uncertainties in both

968-779: A long proboscis called a trunk, tusks , large ear flaps, pillar-like legs, and tough but sensitive grey skin. The trunk is prehensile , bringing food and water to the mouth and grasping objects. Tusks, which are derived from the incisor teeth, serve both as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body temperature as well as in communication. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or level backs. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa , South Asia, and Southeast Asia and are found in different habitats, including savannahs , forests, deserts, and marshes . They are herbivorous , and they stay near water when it

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1056-527: A narrower rostral saw with numerous teeth on the distal part and no teeth on the basal one-quarter (toothless section about one-sixth in juveniles). It reaches a length of up to 3.5 m (11 ft). In addition to the living Anoxypristis cuspidata , this genus includes a few extinct species that are only known from fossil remains. The narrow sawfish grows to a maximum length of about 3.5 m (11 ft), although there are highly questionable and unconfirmed claims of much larger individuals. Its body

1144-548: A pouch where it can store water for later use. The larynx of the elephant is the largest known among mammals. The vocal folds are anchored close to the epiglottis base. When comparing an elephant's vocal folds to those of a human, an elephant's are proportionally longer, thicker, with a greater cross-sectional area. In addition, they are located further up the vocal tract with an acute slope. The heart of an elephant weighs 12–21 kg (26–46 lb). Its apex has two pointed ends, an unusual trait among mammals. In addition,

1232-418: A protective crust. Elephants have difficulty releasing heat through the skin because of their low surface-area-to-volume ratio , which is many times smaller than that of a human. They have even been observed lifting up their legs to expose their soles to the air. Elephants only have sweat glands between the toes, but the skin allows water to disperse and evaporate, cooling the animal. In addition, cracks in

1320-541: A single species, Loxodonta africana , but molecular studies have affirmed their status as separate species. Mammoths ( Mammuthus ) are nested within living elephants as they are more closely related to Asian elephants than to African elephants. Another extinct genus of elephant, Palaeoloxodon , is also recognised, which appears to have close affinities with African elephants and to have hybridised with African forest elephants. Over 180 extinct members of order Proboscidea have been described. The earliest proboscideans,

1408-440: A strong grasp. The flexibility of the trunk is aided by the numerous wrinkles in the skin. The African elephants have two finger-like extensions at the tip of the trunk that allow them to pluck small food. The Asian elephant has only one and relies more on wrapping around a food item. Asian elephant trunks have better motor coordination . The trunk's extreme flexibility allows it to forage and wrestle other elephants with it. It

1496-661: A top speed of 25 km/h (16 mph). At this speed, most other quadrupeds are well into a gallop, even accounting for leg length. Spring-like kinetics could explain the difference between the motion of elephants and other animals. The cushion pads expand and contract, and reduce both the pain and noise that would come from a very heavy animal moving. Elephants are capable swimmers: they can swim for up to six hours while completely waterborne, moving at 2.1 km/h (1 mph) and traversing up to 48 km (30 mi) continuously. The brain of an elephant weighs 4.5–5.5 kg (10–12 lb) compared to 1.6 kg (4 lb) for

1584-415: A very high ED but fall outside the top 100 EDGE rankings. These species are conserved by 'EDGE Fellows', who collect data on these species and develop conservation action plans. Fellows have previously collaborated with institutions like National Geographic and The Disney Conservation Fund. Top 3 ranked species in each taxonomic group, as of September 2024: The species with an EDGE score of 20 or higher are

1672-432: A year. As the tusk develops, it is topped with smooth, cone-shaped enamel that eventually wanes. The dentine is known as ivory and has a cross-section of intersecting lines, known as "engine turning", which create diamond-shaped patterns. Being living tissue, tusks are fairly soft and about as dense as the mineral calcite . The tusk protrudes from a socket in the skull, and most of it is external. At least one-third of

1760-601: Is a high-value target for fishermen. Sawfish are commonly hunted to make shark fin soup or for their rostrums to be displayed as trophies. Most countries have regulations against catching it; however, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing remains a threat. Furthermore, the narrow sawfish is or was a common bycatch for fisheries in its geographic range. The toothed rostrum makes it vulnerable to most types of fishing gear, particularly nets, with those made of nylon more difficult for sawfish to extricate themselves from. Damaged, neglected, or lost fishing gear (aka ghost nets) are also

1848-409: Is accessible. They are considered to be keystone species , due to their impact on their environments. Elephants have a fission–fusion society , in which multiple family groups come together to socialise. Females (cows) tend to live in family groups, which can consist of one female with her calves or several related females with offspring. The leader of a female group, usually the oldest cow, is known as

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1936-691: Is derived from the Latin word elephas ( genitive elephantis ) ' elephant ' , which is the Latinised form of the ancient Greek ἐλέφας ( elephas ) (genitive ἐλέφαντος ( elephantos )), probably from a non- Indo-European language , likely Phoenician . It is attested in Mycenaean Greek as e-re-pa (genitive e-re-pa-to ) in Linear B syllabic script. As in Mycenaean Greek, Homer used

2024-416: Is found in inshore waters, including bays and estuaries. The narrow sawfish is euryhaline , meaning it can tolerate a wide range of salinity and move between estuarine and marine environments. It undergoes an ontogenetic shift in habitat. Larger individuals are commonly found offshore, whereas smaller individuals are found inshore. Females are also more likely to be found offshore. The narrow sawfish

2112-494: Is generally shark-like, but its most obvious feature is the flattened head, which is extended forward in a blade-like bony snout with, in Australian waters, 18 to 22 pairs of sideways-facing teeth. However, elsewhere there may be as many as 25. These teeth are short, flat, and roughly triangular in shape. The blade does not taper towards its point and in adults, the basal one-quarter is devoid of teeth. In juveniles, about one-sixth of

2200-412: Is harmless towards people. However, when highly stressed, such as when caught in a net, narrow sawfish will flail their heads from side to side to defend themselves. This can potentially inflict serious injury on unprotected persons who get too close. The narrow sawfish feeds on small fish, squid, and invertebrates such as crabs and shrimp. It uses its rostrum in a side-to-side thrashing action to stir up

2288-575: Is lined with sharp transverse teeth, arranged in a way that resembles the teeth of a saw and are used for killing prey. It is found in the shallow coastal waters and estuaries of the Indo-West Pacific , ranging from the Persian Gulf to southern Japan , Papua New Guinea and northern Australia . It is the only living member of the genus Anoxypristis , but was previously included in the genus Pristis . Compared to Pristis , Anoxypristis has

2376-417: Is powerful enough to lift up to 350 kg (770 lb), but it also has the precision to crack a peanut shell without breaking the seed. With its trunk, an elephant can reach items up to 7 m (23 ft) high and dig for water in the mud or sand below. It also uses it to clean itself. Individuals may show lateral preference when grasping with their trunks: some prefer to twist them to the left, others to

2464-437: Is suspected to be locally extinct in the coastal waters of Vietnam due to commercial fishing (especially trawling), coastal development, and subsequent habitat loss. The breeding behavior of the narrow sawfish has been little studied. Fertilization is internal, and a number of young develop at one time in the oviduct , each one being nourished from a yolk sac . Mating season varies by geographic region, and pups are born after

2552-596: Is typically more worn down, as it is shorter and blunter. For African elephants, tusks are present in both males and females and are around the same length in both sexes, reaching up to 300 cm (9 ft 10 in), but those of males tend to be more massive. In the Asian species, only the males have large tusks. Female Asians have very small tusks, or none at all. Tuskless males exist and are particularly common among Sri Lankan elephants . Asian males can have tusks as long as Africans', but they are usually slimmer and lighter;

2640-552: The Bering Strait into the Holocene, with their latest survival being on Wrangel Island , where they persisted until around 4,000 years ago. Over the course of their evolution, probobscideans grew in size. With that came longer limbs and wider feet with a more digitigrade stance, along with a larger head and shorter neck. The trunk evolved and grew longer to provide reach. The number of premolars, incisors, and canines decreased, and

2728-673: The EDGE of Existence Programme in 2007 to raise awareness and funds for the conservation of these species. As of 2024, the programme has awarded fellows funds to help conserve 157 different species in 47 countries. The programme lists key supporters as the Fondation Franklinia, On the EDGE, and Darwin Initiative . Donors include the IUCN , US Fish and Wildlife Service , and numerous non-governmental organisations and foundations. In 2024, researchers at

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2816-809: The Early Pleistocene , all non-elephantid probobscidean genera outside of the Americas became extinct with the exception of Stegodon , with gomphotheres dispersing into South America as part of the Great American interchange , and mammoths migrating into North America around 1.5 million years ago. At the end of the Early Pleistocene, around 800,000 years ago the elephantid genus Palaeoloxodon dispersed outside of Africa, becoming widely distributed in Eurasia. Proboscideans were represented by around 23 species at

2904-526: The Etosha region of Namibia. Elephants go on seasonal migrations in response to changes in environmental conditions. In northern Botswana, they travel 325 km (202 mi) to the Chobe River after the local waterholes dry up in late August. Narrow sawfish The narrow sawfish ( Anoxypristis cuspidata ), also known as the pointed sawfish or knifetooth sawfish, is a species of sawfish in

2992-743: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade , as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. Elephants are used as working animals in Asia. In the past, they were used in war; today, they are often controversially put on display in zoos, or employed for entertainment in circuses . Elephants have an iconic status in human culture and have been widely featured in art, folklore, religion, literature, and popular culture. The word elephant

3080-421: The bull shark ( Carcharhinus leucas ) and the copper shark ( Carcharhinus brachyurus ) and also the saltwater crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ). Human actions are the main cause of the declining narrow sawfish populations and ranges. Overutilization, primarily from commercial fisheries, is its biggest threat. Narrow sawfish populations have likely decreased over 80% between 2004 and 2022. The narrow sawfish

3168-472: The family Pristidae , part of the Batoidea , a superorder of cartilaginous fish that include the rays and skates . Sawfish display a circumglobal distribution in warm marine and freshwater habitats. Their extant biodiversity is limited to five species belonging to two genera ( Pristis and Anoxypristis ). The sawfishes are characterised by the long, narrow, flattened rostrum or extension on their snout. This

3256-405: The incisors , known as the tusks ; 12 deciduous premolars ; and 12 molars . Unlike most mammals, teeth are not replaced by new ones emerging from the jaws vertically. Instead, new teeth start at the back of the mouth and push out the old ones. The first chewing tooth on each side of the jaw falls out when the elephant is two to three years old. This is followed by four more tooth replacements at

3344-585: The magenta petrel . Elephants Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), the African forest elephant ( L. cyclotis ), and the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea ; extinct relatives include mammoths and mastodons . Distinctive features of elephants include

3432-507: The matriarch . Males (bulls) leave their family groups when they reach puberty and may live alone or with other males. Adult bulls mostly interact with family groups when looking for a mate. They enter a state of increased testosterone and aggression known as musth , which helps them gain dominance over other males as well as reproductive success. Calves are the centre of attention in their family groups and rely on their mothers for as long as three years. Elephants can live up to 70 years in

3520-423: The pleural cavity . This may allow the animal to deal with the pressure differences when its body is underwater and its trunk is breaking the surface for air. Elephants breathe mostly with the trunk but also with the mouth. They have a hindgut fermentation system, and their large and small intestines together reach 35 m (115 ft) in length. Less than half of an elephant's food intake gets digested, despite

3608-487: The temporal gland , located on both sides of the head. This organ is associated with sexual behaviour, and males secrete a fluid from it when in musth . Females have also been observed with these secretions. Elephants are herbivorous and will eat leaves, twigs, fruit, bark, grass, and roots. African elephants mostly browse , while Asian elephants mainly graze . They can eat as much as 300 kg (660 lb) of food and drink 40 L (11 US gal) of water in

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3696-432: The ventricles of the heart split towards the top, a trait also found in sirenians. When upright, the elephant's heart beats around 28 beats per minute and actually speeds up to 35 beats when it lies down. The blood vessels are thick and wide and can hold up under high blood pressure. The lungs are attached to the diaphragm , and breathing relies less on the expanding of the ribcage. Connective tissue exists in place of

3784-592: The "shovel tuskers" like Platybelodon ), choerolophodontids and stegodontids . Around 10 million years ago, the earliest members of the family Elephantidae emerged in Africa, having originated from gomphotheres. Elephantids are distinguished from earlier proboscideans by a major shift in the molar morphology to parallel lophs rather than the cusps of earlier proboscideans, allowing them to become higher-crowned (hypsodont) and more efficient in consuming grass. The Late Miocene saw major climactic changes, which resulted in

3872-520: The African Eritherium and Phosphatherium are known from the late Paleocene . The Eocene included Numidotherium , Moeritherium , and Barytherium from Africa. These animals were relatively small and, some, like Moeritherium and Barytherium were probably amphibious. Later on, genera such as Phiomia and Palaeomastodon arose; the latter likely inhabited more forested areas. Proboscidean diversification changed little during

3960-402: The EDGE score almost as much as increasing the threat level by one (e.g. from 'vulnerable' to 'endangered'). EDGE scores are an estimate of the expected loss of evolutionary history per unit time. EDGE species are species which have an above average ED score and are threatened with extinction (critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable). There are currently 564 EDGE mammal species (≈12% of

4048-654: The Greek word to mean ivory , but after the time of Herodotus , it also referred to the animal. The word elephant appears in Middle English as olyfaunt ( c.  1300 ) and was borrowed from Old French oliphant (12th century). Orycteropodidae [REDACTED] Macroscelididae [REDACTED] Chrysochloridae [REDACTED] Tenrecidae [REDACTED] Procaviidae [REDACTED] Elephantidae [REDACTED] Dugongidae [REDACTED] Trichechidae [REDACTED] Elephants belong to

4136-729: The Narrow Sawfish as a "no-take" species. Sawfish also are considered "no-take" species in India, but the legislation is frequently ignored and rarely enforced. International trade of the narrow sawfish has been banned by its inclusion in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix 1. The current population of the narrow sawfish is unknown. Collareta, Alberto; Casati, Simone; Catanzariti, Rita; Di Cencio, Andrea (2017). "First record of

4224-651: The Oligocene. One notable species of this epoch was Eritreum melakeghebrekristosi of the Horn of Africa , which may have been an ancestor to several later species. early proboscideans, e.g. Moeritherium [REDACTED] Deinotheriidae [REDACTED] Mammutidae [REDACTED] Gomphotheriidae [REDACTED] Stegodontidae [REDACTED] Loxodonta [REDACTED] Palaeoloxodon [REDACTED] Mammuthus [REDACTED] Elephas [REDACTED] A major event in proboscidean evolution

4312-475: The ages of four to six, 9–15, 18–28, and finally in their early 40s. The final (usually sixth) set must last the elephant the rest of its life. Elephant teeth have loop-shaped dental ridges, which are more diamond-shaped in African elephants. The tusks of an elephant are modified second incisors in the upper jaw. They replace deciduous milk teeth at 6–12 months of age and keep growing at about 17 cm (7 in)

4400-414: The base is toothless. The nostrils are narrow and partially concealed by nasal flaps. The skin of young sawfish is smooth, but on older individuals, it is sparsely covered in dermal denticles . The dorsal (upper) side of the fish is greyish and the ventral (lower) side and fins are a pale grey color. The rostrum is grey with white teeth and sometimes has a chocolate-brown base portion. The narrow sawfish

4488-621: The beginning of the Late Pleistocene . Proboscideans underwent a dramatic decline during the Late Pleistocene as part of the Late Pleistocene extinctions of most large mammals globally, with all remaining non-elephantid proboscideans (including Stegodon , mastodons , and the American gomphotheres Cuvieronius and Notiomastodon ) and Palaeoloxodon becoming extinct, with mammoths only surviving in relict populations on islands around

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4576-453: The cheek teeth (molars and premolars) became longer and more specialised. The incisors developed into tusks of different shapes and sizes. Several species of proboscideans became isolated on islands and experienced insular dwarfism , some dramatically reducing in body size, such as the 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall dwarf elephant species Palaeoloxodon falconeri . Elephants are the largest living terrestrial animals. Some species of

4664-402: The decline and extinction of many proboscidean groups. The earliest members of the modern genera of Elephantidae appeared during the latest Miocene–early Pliocene around 5 million years ago. The elephantid genera Elephas (which includes the living Asian elephant) and Mammuthus (mammoths) migrated out of Africa during the late Pliocene, around 3.6 to 3.2 million years ago. Over the course of

4752-420: The ear is considerably thinner. Elephants are typically grey, but African elephants look brown or reddish after rolling in coloured mud. Asian elephants have some patches of depigmentation, particularly on the head. Calves have brownish or reddish hair, with the head and back being particularly hairy. As elephants mature, their hair darkens and becomes sparser, but dense concentrations of hair and bristles remain on

4840-525: The elephant uses its trunk as a snorkel . The trunk also acts as a sense organ. Its sense of smell may be four times greater than a bloodhound 's nose. The infraorbital nerve , which makes the trunk sensitive to touch, is thicker than both the optic and auditory nerves. Whiskers grow all along the trunk, and are particularly packed at the tip, where they contribute to its tactile sensitivity. Unlike those of many mammals, such as cats and rats, elephant whiskers do not move independently ("whisk") to sense

4928-402: The environment; the trunk itself must move to bring the whiskers into contact with nearby objects. Whiskers grow in rows along each side on the ventral surface of the trunk, which is thought to be essential in helping elephants balance objects there, whereas they are more evenly arranged on the dorsal surface. The number and patterns of whiskers are distinctly different between species. Damaging

5016-410: The extinct elephant genus Palaeoloxodon considerably exceeded modern elephants in size making them among the largest land mammals ever. The skeleton is made up of 326–351 bones. The vertebrae are connected by tight joints, which limit the backbone's flexibility. African elephants have 21 pairs of ribs, while Asian elephants have 19 or 20 pairs. The skull contains air cavities ( sinuses ) that reduce

5104-585: The family Elephantidae , the sole remaining family within the order Proboscidea . Their closest extant relatives are the sirenians ( dugongs and manatees ) and the hyraxes , with which they share the clade Paenungulata within the superorder Afrotheria . Elephants and sirenians are further grouped in the clade Tethytheria . Three species of living elephants are recognised; the African bush elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), forest elephant ( Loxodonta cyclotis ), and Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). African elephants were traditionally considered

5192-519: The front and hind limbs can support an elephant's weight, although 60% is borne by the front. The position of the limbs and leg bones allows an elephant to stand still for extended periods of time without tiring. Elephants are incapable of turning their manus as the ulna and radius of the front legs are secured in pronation . Elephants may also lack the pronator quadratus and pronator teres muscles or have very small ones. The circular feet of an elephant have soft tissues, or "cushion pads" beneath

5280-599: The global population by more than 80% in three sawfish generations or 18 years. On September 10, 2010, WildEarth Guardians petitioned the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list six sawfish species – the narrow sawfish; the dwarf sawfish , the freshwater sawfish , the common sawfish , the narrowsnout sawfish , and the smalltooth sawfish – as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 . The NMFS published

5368-542: The largest ear flaps. The ossicles are adapted for hearing low frequencies, being most sensitive at 1 kHz . Lacking a lacrimal apparatus (tear duct), the eye relies on the harderian gland in the orbit to keep it moist. A durable nictitating membrane shields the globe. The animal's field of vision is compromised by the location and limited mobility of the eyes. Elephants are dichromats and they can see well in dim light but not in bright light. The elongated and prehensile trunk, or proboscis , consists of both

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5456-402: The largest recorded was 302 cm (9 ft 11 in) long and weighed 39 kg (86 lb). Hunting for elephant ivory in Africa and Asia has resulted in an effective selection pressure for shorter tusks and tusklessness. An elephant's skin is generally very tough, at 2.5 cm (1 in) thick on the back and parts of the head. The skin around the mouth, anus , and inside of

5544-619: The latter two countries may have been restricted to vagrants , and its southern limit is the northern Australian states of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. At present, it is known to exist only in the eastern Arabian Sea, parts of South Asia and Australia and Papua New Guinea. The narrow sawfish is bentho-pelagic and is found at depths of about 100 meters (330 feet). The narrow sawfish prefers soft bottom-substrates, such as sand, mud, or seagrass, to rocky or coraline habitats. It can tolerate low salinity levels and

5632-449: The manus or pes , which allow them to bear the animal's great mass. They appear to have a sesamoid , an extra "toe" similar in placement to a giant panda 's extra "thumb", that also helps in weight distribution. As many as five toenails can be found on both the front and hind feet. Elephants can move both forward and backward, but are incapable of trotting , jumping , or galloping . They can move on land only by walking or ambling :

5720-425: The middle with a thinner tip and supported by a thicker base. They contain numerous blood vessels called capillaries . Warm blood flows into the capillaries, releasing excess heat into the environment. This effect is increased by flapping the ears back and forth. Larger ear surfaces contain more capillaries, and more heat can be released. Of all the elephants, African bush elephants live in the hottest climates and have

5808-456: The modification and destruction of critical habitat. Furthermore, the pollution from these activities degrades the water quality. As of 2020, narrow sawfish may no longer be present in up to 61% of their historic range, according to the IUCN. These threats are expected to become more significant as the human population grows. Natural threats, such as disease and predation, do not significantly harm

5896-412: The mountain pygmy possum (25.1) and aye-aye (20.1). Only mammals have and EDGE score of 8 or higher. The non-mammal species with the highest EDGE score is the largetooth sawfish (7.4). The species with the highest ED scores are the pig-nosed turtle (149.7) and the narrow sawfish (125.1). Examples of Critically Endangered species with very low ED scores are porites pukoensis , mountainous star coral , and

5984-486: The narrow sawfish population. The IUCN listed the narrow sawfish as " Endangered " in its Red List of Threatened Species in the year 2000. This was due to the threats of overutilization, habitat loss, and a decreasing population. Its status was updated to "Critically Endangered" in 2006. In 2013, its status returned to "Endangered" due to the availability of new information. The 2023 assessment again categorized it as critically endangered, citing an estimated decrease in

6072-486: The narrow sawfish. The NMFS published its final ruling on December 12, 2014, which listed all five sawfish species as endangered. Scientific data showed that geographical areas occupied by the narrow sawfish were entirely outside U.S. jurisdiction. Therefore, the NMFS was not able to designate any critical habitat. Furthermore, the NMFS did not develop a recovery plan because they would not be able to enforce it. Western Australia and Queensland have listed protections for

6160-413: The nose and upper lip, which fuse in early fetal development. This versatile appendage contains up to 150,000 separate muscle fascicles , with no bone and little fat. These paired muscles consist of two major types: superficial (surface) and internal. The former are divided into dorsal, ventral , and lateral muscles, while the latter are divided into transverse and radiating muscles. The muscles of

6248-418: The ordering of nodes and the length of segments. GE is a number corresponding to a species' conservation status according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature with more endangered species having a higher GE: The EDGE score of a species is derived from its scores for Evolutionary Distinctness (ED) and for Globally Endangered status (GE) as follows: This means that a doubling in ED affects

6336-423: The process lasting a day. An elephant's bladder can store up to 18 litres of urine and its kidneys can produce more than 50 litres of urine per day. A male elephant's testes, like other Afrotheria , are internally located near the kidneys. The penis can be as long as 100 cm (39 in) with a 16 cm (6 in) wide base. It curves to an 'S' when fully erect and has an orifice shaped like

6424-539: The programme identified EDGE Zones that make up 0.7% of Earth's surface but are home to one-third of the world's four-legged EDGE species. Some species are more distinct than others because they represent a larger amount of unique evolution. Species like the aardvark have few close relatives and have been evolving independently for many millions of years. Others like the domestic dog originated only recently and have many close relatives. Species uniqueness can be measured as an 'Evolutionary Distinctiveness' (ED) score, using

6512-493: The right. Elephant trunks are capable of powerful siphoning. They can expand their nostrils by 30%, leading to a 64% greater nasal volume, and can breathe in almost 30 times faster than a human sneeze, at over 150 m/s (490 ft/s). They suck up water, which is squirted into the mouth or over the body. The trunk of an adult Asian elephant is capable of retaining 8.5 L (2.2 US gal) of water. They will also sprinkle dust or grass on themselves. When underwater,

6600-415: The sediment and uncover concealed prey. It can also use its rostrum among schools of fish to incapacitate or stun individual fish. The head and rostrum of the sawfish contain thousands of electroreception organs called ampullae of lorenzini , which allow it to sense and locate the electric fields of its prey. The narrow sawfish is itself prey to various sharks such as the hammerhead shark ( Sphyrna spp.),

6688-401: The skin may reduce dehydration and allow for increased thermal regulation in the long term. To support the animal's weight, an elephant's limbs are positioned more vertically under the body than in most other mammals. The long bones of the limbs have cancellous bones in place of medullary cavities . This strengthens the bones while still allowing haematopoiesis (blood cell creation). Both

6776-456: The skull, which serve as protection. Because of the size of the head, the neck is relatively short to provide better support. Elephants are homeotherms and maintain their average body temperature at ~ 36 °C (97 °F), with a minimum of 35.2 °C (95.4 °F) during the cool season, and a maximum of 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) during the hot dry season. Elephant ear flaps, or pinnae , are 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) thick in

6864-472: The tip of the tail and parts of the head and genitals. Normally, the skin of an Asian elephant is covered with more hair than its African counterpart. Their hair is thought to help them lose heat in their hot environments. Although tough, an elephant's skin is very sensitive and requires mud baths to maintain moisture and protection from burning and insect bites. After bathing, the elephant will usually use its trunk to blow dust onto its body, which dries into

6952-400: The total). Potential EDGE species are those with high ED scores but whose conservation status is unclear ( data deficient or not evaluated ). Focal species are typically selected from the priority EDGE species —the top 100 amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles, top 50 sharks and rays, and top 25 corals— however, they also prioritise species outside these rankings. Such species can also have

7040-514: The trunk connect to a bony opening in the skull. The nasal septum consists of small elastic muscles between the nostrils, which are divided by cartilage at the base. A unique proboscis nerve – a combination of the maxillary and facial nerves – lines each side of the appendage. As a muscular hydrostat , the trunk moves through finely controlled muscle contractions, working both with and against each other. Using three basic movements: bending, twisting, and longitudinal stretching or retracting,

7128-422: The trunk has near unlimited flexibility. Objects grasped by the end of the trunk can be moved to the mouth by curving the appendage inward. The trunk can also bend at different points by creating stiffened "pseudo-joints". The tip can be moved in a way similar to the human hand. The skin is more elastic on the dorsal side of the elephant trunk than underneath; allowing the animal to stretch and coil while maintaining

7216-508: The trunk would be detrimental to an elephant's survival, although in rare cases, individuals have survived with shortened ones. One trunkless elephant has been observed to graze using its lips with its hind legs in the air and balancing on its front knees. Floppy trunk syndrome is a condition of trunk paralysis recorded in African bush elephants and involves the degeneration of the peripheral nerves and muscles. The disorder has been linked to lead poisoning. Elephants usually have 26 teeth:

7304-433: The tusk contains the pulp , and some have nerves that stretch even further. Thus, it would be difficult to remove it without harming the animal. When removed, ivory will dry up and crack if not kept cool and wet. Tusks function in digging, debarking, marking, moving objects, and fighting. Elephants are usually right- or left-tusked, similar to humans, who are typically right- or left-handed . The dominant, or "master" tusk,

7392-419: The weight of the skull while maintaining overall strength. These cavities give the inside of the skull a honeycomb -like appearance. By contrast, the lower jaw is dense. The cranium is particularly large and provides enough room for the attachment of muscles to support the entire head. The skull is built to withstand great stress, particularly when fighting or using the tusks. The brain is surrounded by arches in

7480-463: The wild. They communicate by touch, sight, smell, and sound; elephants use infrasound and seismic communication over long distances. Elephant intelligence has been compared with that of primates and cetaceans . They appear to have self-awareness , and possibly show concern for dying and dead individuals of their kind. African bush elephants and Asian elephants are listed as endangered and African forest elephants as critically endangered by

7568-593: Was historically distributed across a broad swathe of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It is, or was, present in the waters off Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Burma, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. At its western extreme, it is present in the Arabian Sea , extending as far south as Somalia . Its northern limit was the Bohai Sea , China, South Korea, and the most southerly parts of Japan, although its presence in

7656-406: Was nine years old. However, the theoretical longevity is calculated to be 27 years. Females begin to mature at 8 feet 1 inch (2.46 m) total length and are fully mature at 15 feet 5 inches (4.70 m). Males are fully mature at 8 feet (2.4 m) total length. The narrow sawfish is docile towards humans and not large enough to consider them as prey. If left undisturbed, it

7744-650: Was the collision of Afro-Arabia with Eurasia, during the Early Miocene, around 18–19 million years ago, allowing proboscideans to disperse from their African homeland across Eurasia and later, around 16–15 million years ago into North America across the Bering Land Bridge . Proboscidean groups prominent during the Miocene include the deinotheres , along with the more advanced elephantimorphs , including mammutids (mastodons), gomphotheres , amebelodontids (which includes

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