The elephant is the biggest animal that lives on land. An adult can weigh as much as a school bus. Elephants live in Africa and Asia. They roam through grasslands, forests, and deserts.

An elephant's trunk is its nose and upper lip joined together. It has thousands of muscles inside. Elephants use their trunk to breathe, smell, drink water, and grab things. A trunk can pick up something as small as a single grain of rice!

Elephants have big, flat ears. Blood flows close to the skin inside the ears. When an elephant flaps its ears, the blood cools down. This is how elephants keep from getting too hot.

Elephants are herbivores. That means they only eat plants. They munch on grass, leaves, bark, and fruit. An elephant can spend up to 18 hours a day just eating!

A baby elephant is called a calf. A newborn calf can weigh 250 pounds. It can stand up within 20 minutes of being born. After two days, the calf can keep up with the whole herd.

Elephants live in family groups called herds. The oldest female leads the group. She is called the matriarch. She remembers where to find food and water, and she helps keep everyone safe.

Elephants communicate in many ways. They trumpet, rumble, and make low sounds that travel through the ground. Other elephants feel these vibrations with their feet. They also greet each other by touching trunks — like a handshake!