Aside from the protective function that skin plays for all animals, there are several unique characteristics of an elephants skin worth noting.  The skin of the elephant is not particularly thick, except
over the back and sides where it can be 2-3 cm thick. An elephant's skin is very sensitive to the sun, and most babies are constantly shadowed by their mothers to avoid bad sun burns. To aid in helping to protect their
skin, elephants will wallow in mud and cover themselves with dirt.
Our skin functions to regulate out body temperature,
namely through sweating. In the elephant there appears to be an absence of sweat glands. The most noticeable side effect of this is the presence of skin which is dry to the touch (although it is also soft and supple). The only visible glands which are found on the skin of the elephant are the mammary glands and the two temporal glands;
one on each side of the head between the eye and the ear. The temporal gland is a huge organ which weighs about 1.5 kg, producing a heavily scented secretion which trickles down the
side of the face. The mammary glands are about the same size and shape as the breast of a woman. Identifying the sex of the elephant in the field can be a difficult task. However, the presence of mammary glands proves a useful aid.
The natural colour of the skin is greyish black in both the African and the Asian elephant. To the observer of the elephant, the apparent colour of the skin is determined by the colour of the area's
soil. This is due to the elephant's habit of throwing mud over its back. |
