Elephant animal

Elephant animal totem

If the United
States is Turtle Island, a continent supported on the back
of a turtle, then India would be Elephant Island, a continent supported
on the back of an elephant. Throughout the centuries, Indian tradition
dictated that all royalty the rulers of the land, be home on the backs of
the children of the great beast that carried the world through space.

The elephant was the totem animal of the god Shiva, the Destroyer,
who seeks to banish illusion and to encourage a clearer perception
of reality Shiva and his goddess-spouse, Radha, produced among their
children the elephant-headed god Ganesha, who, as Lord of Ilosts,
impregnated the virgin Maya to bring Buddha into flesh.

Especially sacred in India was the white elephant, considered far too
priceless to be used for work or warfare, but to be maintained by its owner
in the finest of style. When we speak today of a "white elephant"
purchase,
we have realized too late that we have purchased an object at a price that
exceeds its true value.

Sometimes seen as a symbol of great sexual prowess in the Asian countries,
the Chinese portray the elephant as representative of royalty, strength of
purpose, and discretion.

In the widest, most universal, and most obvious depiction of the elephant it
is a symbol of strength. At various times in Medieval Europe, the elephant
also became an emblem of wisdom, moderation, and eternity Then,
accomplishing a complete change of cosmology, there appeared the
elephant-headed demon, Behemoth, a favorite in Dark Side sorcery.

If you have accepted the elephant as your totem animal, it may not be long
before you are asked to assume a role of great responsibility in the workplace
or in your community. If you feel attracted to the elephant as a totem animal,
it
is likely that you are involved in social work, public service, or politics.
You
may also feel a strong commitment to caring for the ill, the very young,
and the elderly.

Whenever you sense an injustice, you will be there on the side of the underdog.

As your spirit helper, the elephant will be able to draw you back to a greater
appreciation for the ancient mysteries than you have previously experienced.
You will soon discover that your guide is extremely concerned about your
maintaining always a solid balance of body, mind, and spirit. Under the
tutelage of this spirit helper, you will place your time in the Silence as your

top priority. You might find yourself wishing to burn some incense while you
are meditating with this totem animal in order to help create an environment in

which exploration of other higher levels of consciousness will be the rule,
rather
than the exception.

Asian Elephant

CLASS: Mammalia

ORDER: Proboscidae

FAMILY: Elephantidae

GENUS & SPECIES: Elephas maximus

CLASSIFICATION:

There are two main
species of elephant: Elephas maximus (the Asian elephant) and Loxodonta
africana (the African elephant).

RANGE:

Historical: Iraq through Asia,
south of Himalayas to northern China

Current: Indian subcontinent,
Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, south China found in forests.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

Length: 18 ft.
- 21 ft.

Height: 8.2 ft.
- 9.8 ft.

Weight: up to 11,000
lbs.

The elephant's gray
skin is only 0.8 to 1.6
inches thick, and sparsely covered with hair. The skin
does become pinkish white with age. The Asian elephant has 5 toes on the
foreleg and 4 toes on each hind leg. The male elephant has internal testes.

DIET:

Zoo: 2-3 pails Purina
Elephant supplement, oat hay, fresh bamboo browse (occasionally), apples,
carrots, omolene, vitamin supplement.

Wild: Bamboo, grass, trees
and shrubs.

BEHAVIOR:

Typically elephants
are seen spraying water, and dirt on their back to keep cool and clean, as well
as to rid themselves of insects. Elephants have a need to be by water, and are
excellent swimmers. They often cross water ways by walking on the bottom and
using their trunks as a snorkel.

Most of the time the
elephants forage in the cool part of the day, and rest in the shade in the
heat. Since they consume such a huge amount of food and they need to travel
great distances, they create "elephant roads."

The herds are
matriarchal with the oldest, most experienced female in charge, so that the
herd may benefit from her accumulated knowledge of the home range. These herds usually
consist of sisters and their offspring. They are very cooperative and
protective of the group and will protect and care for the young. It is
especially hard on the herd to lose the matriarch, because of her knowledge of
food and water sources. Unfortunately, the oldest elephants are typically the
ones targeted by poachers. The males will sometimes come together in bachelor
herds, but these are usually a more loose association.

ADAPTATIONS: The most prominent
adaptation is that of the upper lip and the nose into the trunk. This functions
like a hand and in the Asian elephant has one finger-like projection on the
top. The trunk has the ability to suck and spray water, manipulate objects and
grasp and hold large, heavy objects.

The elephant skull has
developed great size to support the massive trunk and the heavy dentition. Air
spaces and sinuses fill the skull to make it lighter, and allow the elephant to
communicate using a low growl referred to as an "infrasound" that
carries for miles.

The huge ears act as
radiators, to regulate temperature. Each ear contains many blood vessels, and
the blood is cooled as the elephant flaps its ears.

The elephant has one
molar on each side of each jaw, that grinds the plant material. The teeth are
replaced by one of the six molars from the back as they push the worn teeth out
the front. At age 60 the last set of teeth are usually worn out. To process its
highly fibrous food the elephant makes use of a large cecum, which ferments the
food and allows micro-organisms to aid in digestion. (The human cecum is
greatly reduced and is called the appendix.) Still, only 50% of the food is
digested - the rest is excreted unchanged, thus reseeding the home range.

BREEDING & GROWTH:

The gestation
for an elephant is 22 months.

The longevity of an elephant in the wild is 60 years and 80 years in
captivity. In the wild only 1/2 reach 15 years old, and 1/5 survive to be 30.

Males will go into
"musth", a period where the testosterone level is high and the
behavior is extremely aggressive. There is a swelling and secretion of the
temporal gland. This sometimes signals an increase in breeding behavior. Males
will compete for the chance to breed.

During the birth of a
calf the members of the herd will gather around to help "midwife."
The young is born weighing about 220 lbs., and nurses by mouth on one of the
nipples located between the forelegs. The young will grow rapidly in the first
few years of life, and will reach 2,200 lbs. by 6 years old. They will become
sexually mature at about 10 years old, but the years 25-45 are the years of
greatest fertility. Males are seldom large enough or strong enough to compete
with other males for breeding until they are in their mid-twenties.

STATUS: Due to the slaughter
of these animals to attain ivory, and the loss of their habitat, they are
endangered, and a member of the SSP breeding program.

GEE WHIZ: Elephants urinate 1
1/2 gal. at a time, and 15
gal. a day!