These teeth are replaced as they are worn away, up to six times throughout an elephant's life. The elephant's trunk is another unique and important feature. It is used not only for drinking and bathing but for smelling, breathing, feeling, and grasping food. African elephants have two fingers while the Asian has only one. They also use their trunk as a snorkel when crossing deep rivers.
Elephants live in the hot climates of Africa and Asia.
To help protect themselves from the heat, elephants have large ears, with prominent veins, that they can flap to cool their blood. They must stay near water, not only for drinking, but also for bathing and cooling. In addition to mud baths, elephants also take dust baths to try to keep cool and deter insect attacks. Elephants are herbivores, or plant-eaters. They feed on grasses, fruits, leaves, branches, bark, and twigs.