African Elephants
African Elephants are the largest living land animals on the planet.
Elephants are usually calm and easygoing because they have very few enemies to
be afraid of. Poachers are one of the more dangerous predators. Elephants live in
subtropical and tropical regions of Africa and Asia, but they can also live in
deserts, swamps, and mountains. An elephant uses its thick skin to keep cool.
Breathing, drinking, and eating are all important functions of an elephant’s trunk.
A newborn elephant is about 3 feet when it is born.
Young male elephants and female elephants live in small family herds.
Generally, the male elephants are peaceful, but during mating season they can
behave irregularly. Elephants are both active during the day and at night.
However, they normally sleep during the hottest hours of the day. Adult
elephants eat about 165 to 330 pounds of vegetation a day.
"Elephant." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 4
Dec. 2015.
Questions
1. Why do you think male elephants behave differently during mating season?
Cite specific text evidence.
2. How much time do you think elephants spend eating vegetation daily? Cite
specific text evidence.
3. How are the poachers in “Thunder Cave” related to the elephants? Cite
specific text evidence.