Elephant herds are made up of closely related female and their babies, led by the oldest female, the matriarch. Through years of experience, she knows the best places to find food and avoid danger. Young male elephants leave the family group when they become teenagers. Baby elephants may suck their trunks, as human babies suck their thumbs. Baby elephants also have milk tusks that fall out when they are about a year old.
Asian elephants occupy forests and semi-open or dense scrub with access to water and shade.
They live in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Malaysia, and Sumatra. The African elephant lives in the savannah, dense scrub, and forest areas of central, southern, and eastern Africa. Habitat destruction in Africa and Asia, coupled with the demands of the ivory trade, threaten the survival of both species.