Image: TONY KARUMBA/Stringer/AFP/Getty Images
About This Quiz
The elephant is the largest mammal that lives on land. You can identify the geographical origin of an elephant simply by the size of its ears. Take this quiz to learn more about elephants.
What is the largest mammal that lives on land?
giraffe
elephant
The elephant is the largest mammal that lives on land, but the whale is the largest mammal.
whale
Advertisement
Where is the natural habitat of elephants?
Africa
Asia
both answers
Elephants are native to both Africa and Asia.
Advertisement
What have elephants been trained to do?
act in the circus
pull heavy loads
both answers
Elephants can be domesticated and have been trained to act in the circus and to pull heavy loads.
Advertisement
How much do elephants weigh?
2,000 to 4,000 pounds
6,000 to 14,000 pounds
Elephants weigh between 6,000 to 14,000 pounds (2,700 to 6,350 kilos) and usually the female is a bit smaller than the male.
10,000 to 15,000 pounds
Advertisement
What is interesting about elephant's ears?
cool their body temp by flapping their ears
clue to geographic origin
both answers
Elephants cool their body temperature by flapping their ears, and ear size can give a clue to the elephant's geographic origin.
Advertisement
Elephants with larger ears originate where?
Africa
Elephants with larger ears come from the hotter climates of Africa.
Asia
both answers
Advertisement
When the elephant is scared, what does it do with its trunk?
blow a trumpet sound
A frightened elephant uses its trunk to blow a trumpet sound.
flail it around
slap its side
Advertisement
How does the elephant use its trunk to drink?
sucks up water with its trunk
squirt water into its mouth
both answers
The elephant sucks up water with its trunk, and then squirts the water into its mouth.
Advertisement
To cool off, what does the elephant fling on its back?
mud
dirt
both answers
Mud or dirt flung on its back helps the elephant to cool off.
Advertisement
For short spurts, how fast can an elephant go?
10 mph
25 mph
An angry elephant can charge at 25 mph (40 kph) for a short distance.
40 mph
Advertisement
How does an elephant breathe and smell?
trunk
An elephant uses its trunk to breathe and smell.
mouth
both answers
Advertisement
Are elephants social animals?
herds
Elephants are mostly social animals and live in herds. Females live with a heard of 15 to 40 others females, and their offspring plus a male leader. Males live alone or with small groups of other males.
alone
neither answer
Advertisement
Why would hundreds of elephant herd together?
droughts
Droughts and other disasters can bring hundreds of elephants together.
spring rains
mating season
Advertisement
What has happened to elephants because of the market for ivory?
elephants have been slaughtered
elephants are threatened with extinction
both answers
Elephants have been slaughtered for their tusks, and as a result African and Asian elephants are now threatened with extinction.
Advertisement
What event happened in 1989 that impacted the trade in ivory?
moratorium on the trade of ivory
moratorium on the trade of elephant products
both answers
In 1989, an international moratorium on the trade in ivory and other elephant products was agreed upon by more than 100 countries.
Advertisement
How long may it take to train an Asian elephant?
two years
five years
10 years
Asian elephants may be trained in 10 years.
Advertisement
How are Asian elephants trained for use as draft animals?
horse training method
A training method similar to the one used to train horses is used with elephants.
lion training method
dolphin training method
Advertisement
How many species of elephants are there?
three
There are only three species of elephants: the African savanna and African forest elephant and the Indian elephant.
ten
twenty
Advertisement
Advertisement
When do elephants mature sexually?
5 to 10 years
10 to 22 years
Elephants mature sexually anytime from 10 to 22 years.
15 to 30 years
Advertisement
You Got:
/20
TONY KARUMBA/Stringer/AFP/Getty Images
