1. What clues do elephants leave behind?
Lesson 8
Grades
2-3
What clues do elephants leave behind?
Teachers Notes:
Elephants have large, round front feet and oval-shaped back feet. When elephants walk, sometimes their back feet may overlap with their front feet, so they may walk in their own footprints.

2. What clues do elephants leave behind?
Lesson 8
Grades
2-3
What clues do elephants leave behind?
Teachers Notes:
Elephants eat a lot of plant material; one elephant can eat over 300 pounds (140 kilograms) of plants a day! Because of that, elephants leave a lot of dung, or solid animal waste, behind. Does anyone know why dung in important? Elephants can communicate with each other using dung; they can identify other elephants from their scents. Elephant dung also helps other animals and the environment! Some animals, like baboons and birds will pick through dung for undigested seeds and nuts. Dung beetles will rolls balls of dung and lay their eggs in these dung balls. Dung is nutrient-rich and helps the soil. Elephants and their dung also help to grow new plants and trees by spreading seeds. Some seeds will not grow unless they have passed through an elephant’s digestive system.

3. What clues do elephants leave behind?
Lesson 8
Grades
2-3
What clues do elephants leave behind?
Teachers Notes:
Some clues that elephants leave behind are special just to elephants, such as tusk marks in clay and mud, trees rubbed against as a scratching post, and even trees they have pushed over. Elephants will use their tusks to dig in mineral pits to find salt and to dig holes to find water for themselves and other animals. Can anyone find the tusk marks in the picture? Click for answers

4. What clues do elephants leave behind?
Lesson 8
Grades
2-3
What clues do elephants leave behind?
Teachers Notes:
Elephants will rub against trees to scratch themselves, which leaves the bark rubbed smooth

5. What clues do elephants leave behind?
Lesson 8
Grades
2-3
What clues do elephants leave behind?
Teachers Notes:
At times, elephants will push trees over.