It’s In the Ears!

Elephant Identification

By Tom J. McConnell

Each elephant is a unique individual, with physical traits that are easy to spot if you know what to look for! The ears, tusks, tails and heads of African elephants are among the ways you can identify an elephant. In this activity, you'll learn how to recognize individual elephants. Then you can practice with elephants at your favorite zoo!

Driving Question: Where do the different giraffe species live?

Objectives:

I can observe differences between elephants.

I can record observations on a data table.

I can use my ID cards to identify elephants at a zoo or website.

Background

Elephants live in social groups called herds. The herd, led by a "matriarch" (a dominant female) stays together, with older members of the herd leading the movement of the group to food and water. The herds are tight-knit family groups. The adults protect the babies, and they cooperate to raise their young. Elephants can identify each other by sight, scent, and their calls.
For us, however, we only identify individual elephants by sight. There are several characteristics that make each elephant unique, and in this activity, you can learn to use some of them. Each elephant has a uniquely shaped ear, and some notches or tears on the edges of their ears. Tusks also make each elephant look different. The shape of an elephant’s head, tail and body can also help you identify individuals.

This activity offers you a set of steps you can use to learn what features to notice, create Elephant ID cards you can fill in and keep to help you, and ideas for practicing your elephant identification skills!

Elephant Identification: It’s In the Ears!

Procedure:

Visit the Conservation Tales website (https://conservationtales.com/ElephantID) to find links to the “Elephant Voices” website. Each link shows a page with tips to notice differences between features like ears, tusks and tales!
** Make sure you click on the photos of the elephants they list as examples! Those will show you what to look for, and teach you terms you can use in you Elephant ID Cards to describe each elephant you observe.

When you have learned what features to look for, use the Elephant ID Cards on the next pages to make some records of the observations you make of elephants! You print these out, or use a smart phone or camera to take pictures of elephants you see at a zoo, or find photos from websites or apps like iNaturalist. Then paste those images into the card, and draw or write notes to remind you of the features you notice!

If you print the Elephant ID cards, you can put them in a binder or folder for your next trip to zoo or when view elephants on a website.

Extend the Activity

Ask a farmer, zoo keeper, or veterinarian what features they look at to identify animals they work with.

Design and ID card for a different type of animal you see at home, at the zoo or in your community.

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SAMPLE ID CARD

Elephant ID Card

Elephant’s Name __________________________

(If known)

Location ___________________

Date _____________

Observation Notes

Mark notches or tears on ears

Earlobe shape/size:

Describe tusks:

Describe tail:

Shape of head/body

Elephant ID Card

Elephant’s Name __________________________

(If known)

Location ___________________

Date _____________

Observation Notes

Mark notches or tears on ears

Earlobe shape/size:

Describe tusks:

Describe tail:

Shape of head/body

Elephant ID Card

Elephant’s Name __________________________

(If known)

Location ___________________

Date _____________

Observation Notes

Mark notches or tears on ears

Earlobe shape/size:

Describe tusks:

Describe tail:

Shape of head/body

Elephant ID Card

Elephant’s Name __________________________

(If known)

Location ___________________

Date _____________

Observation Notes

Mark notches or tears on ears

Earlobe shape/size:

Describe tusks:

Describe tail:

Shape of head/body

Elephant ID Card

Elephant’s Name __________________________

(If known)

Location ___________________

Date _____________

Observation Notes

Mark notches or tears on ears

Earlobe shape/size:

Describe tusks:

Describe tail:

Shape of head/body

Elephant ID Card

Elephant’s Name __________________________

(If known)

Location ___________________

Date _____________

Observation Notes

Mark notches or tears on ears

Earlobe shape/size:

Describe tusks:

Describe tail:

Shape of head/body

Elephant ID Card

Elephant’s Name __________________________

(If known)

Location ___________________

Date _____________

Observation Notes

Mark notches or tears on ears

Earlobe shape/size:

Describe tusks:

Describe tail:

Shape of head/body

No name

Kruger, South Africa

July 2018

Notch on right ear

Right short, broken tip

Long, hangs below jaw

Long tail, long hair in two clumps

Forehead round, no bulges

conservationtales.com/elephants	© 2019 Airway Publishing

conservationtales.com/elephants	© 2019 Airway Publishing

conservationtales.com/elephants	© 2019 Airway Publishing

conservationtales.com/elephants	© 2019 Airway Publishing

conservationtales.com/elephants	© 2019 Airway Publishing

conservationtales.com/elephants	© 2019 Airway Publishing

McConnell, Tom

2020-04-18