Elephants

Question 1

kingdom

Answer 1

animalia

Question 2

phylum

Answer 2

chordata

Question 3

order

Answer 3

probescidea

Question 4

family

Answer 4

elephantidae

Question 5

three species of living elephants

Answer 5

• african bush elephants
• african forest elephants
• asian (indian) elephants

Question 6

elephants are the ___ land animal

Answer 6

largest

Question 7

elephant gestation is

Answer 7

22 months (longest)

Question 8

elephant life span

Answer 8

50-70 years

Question 9

largest elephant recorded

Answer 9

24,000 pounds

Question 10

do elephants have natural predators

Answer 10

no

Question 11

african vs asian (indian) elephants

Answer 11

• African elephants have larger ears, and have a more concave back than Indian elephants
• African males and females have tusks, only Asian males have tusks
• Population estimate of African elephants: 550,000
• Population estimate of Asian elephants: 60,000
• african have 4 toenails on the front foot and 3 on the hind
• asian typically have 5 toenails on the front and 4 on the hind
• -asian are harder to keep due to more digits
• Elephants play an important role in human ecology and have for thousands of years
• Elephants commonly endure foot problems both in wild and in captivity
• In general elephant legs are straight compared to other animals, therefore the fight is truncated. Limbs avoid excess exertion by flexing minimally
• -This allows them to hold more weight and less on the joints
• Bones of the limbs are massive and lack significant marrow (16% of body weight of elephants, 10% of dogs)
• There are over 200 bones in an elephant, human has 206, dog has 321
• The most significant problems in captive elephants (as in horses) is lameness
• -Knowledge of anatomy (leg and foot) is very important

Question 12

foot anatomy

Answer 12

left hind foot is made up of:

• calcaneus, talus, tarsale, metatarsale, and pre-hallux
• pre-hallux=cartilaginous rod that helps to support the majority of the foot and is not found in any other animal
• underneath all of these bones is a very thick foot pad
• essentially they are walking on their toes
• the unusual structure (pre-hullax) attaches to the sole of the foot just medial to the midline and appears to stabilize the tarsus over the digital cushion
• -the foot is not very vascular making it difficult to get medicine there because blood is the transport

Question 13

foot digital cushion

Answer 13

• the digital cushion is a mass of fibroelastic tissue
• occupies the area under the tarsus and is plantar to the digits
• expands the foot during weight bearing which makes the elephant foot very dynamic
• cushion distributes weight over the entire sole
• -if weight isn;t distributed evenly there will be sole issues
• flexible
• 4-12cm thick, keratinized pad covering the plantar surfaces of the foot
• the toenail is keratinized corresponding (as in humans) to a particular digit. there are sweat glands just above the toenail

Question 14

physiology

Answer 14

• while standing each foot supports weight of roughly 3300 pounds of 1500kg
• normally elephants sway which allows increased circulation in a pressure filled area (some people mistakenly think this is a stereotypical behavior)
• blood flows to the limbs easily but the return is difficult to overcome gravitational forces
• compression the digital cushion of the foot acts as a pump to move the blood

Question 15

zoo recommendations

Answer 15

• daily pedicure: foot care should be a “culture” at the zoo
• elephants are complex and intelligent beings whose needs must be met: physically and psychologically
• elephants feet degenerate in the absence of a healthy mental status
• an average of 4-5 hours out of a 7.5 hour work day should be spent on husbandry and training
• if the institution can not support this model, the elephant’s needs can not be met
• basic understanding of an elephant’s natural history and biological needs
• spacious facilities, dirt, mud, browse, grass, varied terrain, social groups…
• elephants need a reason to love around
• imagination
• daily enrichment as well as weekly enrichment practices

Question 16

degeneration of mental and physical environment=illness

Answer 16

• being confined to small spaces, stagnant for hours standing on concrete equal;s inactive feet
• inactive feet means devascularization of important tissue that would normally be flowing with circulation. When tissue dies it becomes necrotic and infected, which=an abscess in the foot. If infection reaches the bones in the feet, which are very close to the toenails, and causes infectious osteitis, then the chances of survival are slim

Question 17

routine foot recommendations

Answer 17

• time spent on feet should be equal to or more than time spent on cleaning or feeding
• all elephants should have a tetanus toxoid vaccine
• -guard against tetanus from punter wounds
• -it is not recommended to administer antitoxin as there is an allergic reaction risk
• asian elephants are more likely to develop foot problems, and the reason is unknown

Question 18

foot disorders

Answer 18

• In a recent study in Temple elephants in India, 50% of the population has foot disease that require daily treatment
• Captive elephants kept at various temples showed many foot ailments such as cracked and split nails, excess cuticular growth above and in between the nails, hardened footpad, abrasion of foot sole, foot rot, abscesses, and degenerative joint disease

Question 19

foot issues

Answer 19

• Laverations, FB, contusions, abrasions, burns, and maveration are all concerns
• Daily inspections, subsequent rasping and cleaning with a brush and hoof trimmer are part of good daily care

Question 20

infectious diseases

Answer 20

• Elephant pox
• An orthopoxvirus
• Vesicles on trunk and feet can be very serious
• -Last known outbreak in 2001, can be transmitted by rats from cows…has zoonotic potential
• Pododermatitis
• Agents: (Bacterial) Proteus, Klebsiella, Salmonella
• Fungal: Cryptococcus and Candida Albacans, Fusarium Solani
• Refers to any infection of the foot, occurs in wild populations as well as captive. Sedentary elephants and elephants without good daily foot and nail care are predisposed
• Clinical signs include: lameness, bad odor, overgrowth of structure and exudate of the toenails
• Trimming and drainage are the most important things, followed by soaks in disinfectant soaks. Tetanus vaccines should be administered because anaerobic pockets are natural areas for Clostridium Tetani
• Infections involving the digital cushion are notoriously difficult to treat as this area is relatively avascular and the surrounding tissues expand over any drainage window you might be inclined to open