Who leads an elephant herd?

The oldest female, the matriarch

Elephants Quiz – How Much Do You Really Know?

Elephants are said never to forget, and this elephants quiz puts that famous saying to the test, along with trunks that hold 40,000 muscles, rumbles too low for our ears and the families that roam Africa and Asia under the lead of a wise old matriarch.

Start Elephants Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Species
How many living elephant species are recognized?
Largest
Which is the largest land animal?
Trunk
About how many muscles are in an elephant's trunk?
Ears
Why do elephants flap their large ears?
Leader
Who leads an elephant herd?
Pregnancy
How long is an elephant's pregnancy?
Sound
How do elephants communicate over long distances?
Ivory
What are elephant tusks?
Asia
How can you tell an Asian elephant from an African one?
Mirror
What can elephants recognize in a mirror?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: How many living elephant species are recognized?
Answer: Three
African savanna, African forest and Asian elephants.
Q2: Which is the largest land animal?
Answer: African savanna elephant
Large males can weigh over 6 tonnes.
Q3: About how many muscles are in an elephant's trunk?
Answer: About 40,000
It can lift logs or pick up a single peanut.
Q4: Why do elephants flap their large ears?
Answer: To cool down
Blood in the ears loses heat as they flap.
Q5: Who leads an elephant herd?
Answer: The oldest female, the matriarch
Her memory helps the herd find water.
Q6: How long is an elephant's pregnancy?
Answer: About 22 months
It is the longest of any land mammal.
Q7: How do elephants communicate over long distances?
Answer: Low rumbles called infrasound
They may sense rumbles through their feet.
Q8: What are elephant tusks?
Answer: Long incisor teeth
Ivory poaching has killed many elephants.
Q9: How can you tell an Asian elephant from an African one?
Answer: Smaller, rounder ears
Asian elephants also have a two-domed head.
Q10: What can elephants recognize in a mirror?
Answer: Themselves
Few animals pass this self-recognition test.

Elephants Quiz – Giants With Great Memories

Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. There are three species: the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. All use their trunks to breathe, smell, drink, grab food and greet each other.

Elephants live in close family groups led by an experienced matriarch, who remembers the routes to water and food. They communicate with deep rumbles, show strong emotions and are known to linger over the bones of dead relatives.

Poaching for ivory and loss of habitat have reduced elephant numbers sharply. Bans on the ivory trade, protected areas and efforts to reduce conflict with farmers are helping some populations recover in parts of Africa and Asia.

What This Quiz Teaches

Wildlife lovers and students will find plenty to learn here.

How many elephant species exist
What the trunk can do
Who leads the herd
How elephants talk
Why tusks put them at risk

Did You Know?

Elephants can swim using their trunks as snorkels.
Calves sometimes suck their trunks for comfort.
Elephants eat up to 150 kg a day.
Some elephants are born without tusks.
Elephant skin cracks hold moisture.