Our Asian elephant friend has hit the four-month mark in her pregnancy. The tiny fetus, now under six centimeters, could easily fit in the palm of your hand. There’s still a lot of growing ahead.
Right now, the fetus has smooth, unwrinkled skin, and you can see its ribs through the thin layers. It boasts a pinkish hue, thanks to the blood flowing through its tiny body. The elephant’s arteries are remarkably large, requiring support from elastic fibers and muscle cells. The developing veins have thicker walls than those in other mammals, some destined to stretch up to 10 meters in length.
Deep inside, the elephant’s digestive system begins to take shape, a crucial structure for its future life, given the vast amount of food it will consume. Despite its size, this system is relatively simple and less efficient than that of many other animals. Once born, the elephant will only digest about 40% of what it eats, necessitating around 16 hours of daily munching. An adult elephant can consume up to 150 kilos of vegetation daily. That’s akin to you or me eating a thousand apples in one go!
At 18 weeks pregnant, the fetus starts to mimic some of an elephant’s iconic movements. It kicks its legs in a slow-running motion and moves its head side to side and up and down. Such activity is essential for muscle development.
The feet of the fetus begin developing fibrous fatty tissue pads, which will later spread the adult elephant’s substantial weight. These pads will also act as shock absorbers, enabling the elephant to move almost silently despite its size. Interestingly, even when an elephant steps on a stick, the sound is muffled by these pads. An adult elephant can walk up to 95 kilometers daily and run nearly 40 kilometers an hour.
New studies suggest that these feet can act as an extra set of ears, detecting ground vibrations from thunder, animal movements, or other elephants’ calls. These unique footpads allow elephants to sense sounds from nearly 16 kilometers away, thanks to vibrations traveling through the bones to their ears.
So, as our tiny elephant continues to grow and develop, it’s on its way to becoming a magnificent creature with remarkable abilities.
