The African elephant is the heaviest land mammal on Earth, weighing up to 6.6 tonnes. Several adaptations enable the elephant to carry this bulk.
Its legs are thick and columnar, and positioned directly under its body (unlike lighter, more agile mammals, such as antelopes, whose legs are slim and angle in slightly under the torso).
Its feet are large, squashy pads that absorb the impact of each step and take some strain off the limbs. And instead of marrow, its leg bones are filled with a spongy type of bone that provides strength as well as new blood cells.
Elephants carry more weight on their front feet – to cope, these have a larger surface area than hind feet, and front limbs are reinforced with bigger bones.
Bulls stand on their rear legs when mating and both sexes will do so when feeding on treetops. Then they have to shift their centre of gravity from the front to the back of the body. It’s risky, even when using their trunk and tail for balance.
Nevertheless, there are no documented cases of one falling over when standing on its hind legs. Practice makes perfect, no doubt – just as humans learn to stand on one leg, it takes time for an elephant to learn.
Main image: African elephant in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya © Getty Images