Elephants are the largest land animals in the world．They live in Africa and the south of Asia．
There are two kinds of elephant—African and lndian．African elephants are bigger than lndian elephants．They often weigh five or six tons，and can be even more！It is easy to tell the difference between the two types．African elephants have sloping（倾斜的）foreheads and very large ears．They are also darker in colour．
Elephants eat plants，fruit and the young shoots of trees，using their amazing noses，or trunks，to put food into their mouths．They also use their trunks for drinking．Water is sucked up by the trunk and is then squirted（喷）into the mouth．Elephants drink a lot of water，often more than 100 litres in a day．
Elephants use their trunks to lift things．They are very strong and can pull and carry big loads．They often live for about 50 years，a long life for an animal．
Sad to say，these wonderful animals are under threat in the wild．They are hunted for their tusks（长牙），which are made of ivory（象牙）and are therefore very valuable．
However，plastics and other materials can now often be used instead of ivory，and wild elephants are protected in many parts of the world．It is hoped that，in time，their numbers will increase．
Schuman from Comprehension
