Also note the types of land that various animals live in-swamps, seashores, dry land and rocks. Have students calculate the total surface area of the elephant foot touching the ground and the pounds of elephant that each square inch supports. An elephant foot is roughly circular and the circumference is approximately one-half that of the shoulder height of the animal. For an elephant with a shoulder height of 13 feet, this would be about 2 feet or 24 inches. Since elephants have four feet, the total area supporting the elephant while standing is about 1800 square inches.
Elephants have big feet to distribute the weight.
Have students measure the length and width of their foot and determine the amount of pressure that they exert when walking. Compare the pressure exerted by an elephant to that produced by a car. Using a tire pressure gauge, find the tire pressure of a car. This is the amount of pressure that each square inch of the tire places on the roadway as the car travels. Compare this to the pressure exerted by the elephant.