Elephants use their trunks to detect smells up to 5 miles away. They use chemical signals as one of several methods of communication. A full-grown African elephant can reach over 12 feet in height and weigh more than 6 tons. An elephant's trunk alone weighs more than 300 pounds and contains approximately 40,000 muscles. An elephant's brain weighs up to 10 or 12 pounds.
Tusks are actually elongated teeth.
Most Asian elephants have tiny tusks or none at all, while African elephants commonly produce tusks that can be quite large in both males and females. Elephants use their tusks for digging, fighting, communication and display.