Editing Elephant (section)

===Trunk===
{{Redirect|Elephant trunk}}
[[File:African elephant warning raised trunk.jpg|thumb|right|African bush elephant with its trunk raised, a behaviour often adopted when trumpeting]]
The elongated and [[Prehensility|prehensile]] trunk, or [[proboscis]], consists of both the nose and upper lip, which fuse in early [[Fetus|fetal]] development.<ref name=evolution /> This versatile appendage contains up to 150,000 separate [[muscle fascicle]]s, with no bone and little fat. These paired muscles consist of two major types: superficial (surface) and internal. The former are divided into [[Dorsoventral|dorsal, ventral]], and [[Lateral and medial|lateral]] muscles, while the latter are divided into [[Transverse plane|transverse]] and [[wikt:radiate|radiating]] muscles. The muscles of the trunk connect to a bony opening in the skull. The [[nasal septum]] consists of small elastic muscles between the nostrils, which are divided by [[cartilage]] at the base.<ref name=Shoshani74>Shoshani, pp. 74–77.</ref> A unique proboscis nerve – a combination of the [[maxillary nerve|maxillary]] and [[facial nerve]]s – lines each side of the appendage.<ref name=trunk />

As a [[muscular hydrostat]], the trunk moves through finely controlled muscle contractions, working both with and against each other.<ref name="trunk" /> Using three basic movements: bending, twisting, and longitudinal stretching or retracting, the trunk has near unlimited flexibility. Objects grasped by the end of the trunk can be moved to the mouth by curving the appendage inward. The trunk can also bend at different points by creating stiffened "pseudo-joints". The tip can be moved in a way similar to the human hand.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Dagenais|first1=P|last2=Hensman|first2=S|last3=Haechler|first3=V|last4=Milinkovitch|first4=M. C.|year=2021|title=Elephants evolved strategies reducing the biomechanical complexity of their trunk|journal=Current Biology|volume=31|issue=21|pages=4727–4737|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.029|pmid=34428468|s2cid=237273086|doi-access=free|bibcode=2021CBio...31E4727D}}</ref> The skin is more elastic on the dorsal side of the elephant trunk than underneath; allowing the animal to stretch and coil while maintaining a strong grasp.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schulz|first1=A. K.|last2=Boyle|first2=M|last3=Boyle|first3=C|last4=Sordilla|first4=S|last5=Rincon|first5=C|last6=Hooper|first6=K|last7=Aubuchon|first7=C|last8=Reidenberg|first8=J. S.|last9=Higgins|first9=C|last10=Hu|first10=D. L.|year=2022|title=Skin wrinkles and folds enable asymmetric stretch in the elephant trunk|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=119|issue=31|page=e2122563119|doi=10.1073/pnas.2122563119|doi-access=free |pmid=35858384 |pmc=9351381 |bibcode=2022PNAS..11922563S }}</ref> The flexibility of the trunk is aided by the numerous wrinkles in the skin.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schulz|first1=A. K.|last2=Kaufmann|first2=L. V.|last3=Reveyaz|first3=N|last4=Ritter|first4=C|last5=Hildebrandt|first5=T|last6=Brecht|first6=M|year=2024|title=Elephants develop wrinkles through both form and function|journal= Royal Society Open Science|volume=11|issue=10 |page=240851|doi=10.1098/rsos.240851|pmid=39386989 |pmc=11461087 |bibcode=2024RSOS...1140851S }}</ref> The African elephants have two finger-like extensions at the tip of the trunk that allow them to pluck small food. The Asian elephant has only one and relies more on wrapping around a food item.<ref name="Shoshani38" /> Asian elephant trunks have better [[motor coordination]].<ref name="Shoshani74" />
[[File:Asian Elephant, Royal Chitwan National Park.jpg|thumb|right|Asian elephant drinking water with trunk]]
The trunk's extreme flexibility allows it to forage and wrestle other elephants with it. It is powerful enough to lift up to {{convert|350|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, but it also has the precision to crack a peanut shell without breaking the seed. With its trunk, an elephant can reach items up to {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}} high and dig for water in the mud or sand below. It also uses it to clean itself.<ref name=Kingdon9>Kingdon, p. 9.</ref> Individuals may show lateral preference when grasping with their trunks: some prefer to twist them to the left, others to the right.<ref name="trunk">{{cite journal|author1=Martin, F.|author2=Niemitz C. |year=2003|title="Right-trunkers" and "left-trunkers": side preferences of trunk movements in wild Asian elephants (''Elephas maximus'')|journal=Journal of Comparative Psychology|volume=117|issue=4|pages=371–379|doi=10.1037/0735-7036.117.4.371|pmid=14717638}}</ref> Elephant trunks are capable of powerful siphoning. They can expand their nostrils by 30%, leading to a 64% greater nasal volume, and can breathe in almost 30 times faster than a human sneeze, at over {{convert|150|m/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Schulz">{{cite journal|author=Schulz, A. K.|author2= Ning Wu, Jia|author3= Sara Ha, S. Y.|author4= Kim, G.|year=2021|title=Suction feeding by elephants|journal= Journal of the Royal Society Interface|volume=18|issue=179|doi=10.1098/rsif.2021.0215|pmid=34062103|pmc=8169210|doi-access=free}}</ref> They suck up water, which is squirted into the mouth or over the body.<ref name=evolution /><ref name="Schulz"/> The trunk of an adult Asian elephant is capable of retaining {{convert|8.5|L|gal|abbr=on}} of water.<ref name=Shoshani74 /> They will also sprinkle dust or grass on themselves.<ref name=evolution /> When underwater, the elephant uses its trunk as a [[Submarine snorkel|snorkel]].<ref name=snorkel />

The trunk also acts as a sense organ. Its sense of smell may be four times greater than a [[bloodhound]]'s nose.<ref name=Sukumar149 /> The [[infraorbital nerve]], which makes the trunk sensitive to touch, is thicker than both the [[Optic nerve|optic]] and [[Cochlear nerve|auditory]] nerves. [[Whiskers]] grow all along the trunk, and are particularly packed at the tip, where they contribute to its tactile sensitivity. Unlike those of many mammals, such as cats and rats, elephant whiskers do not move independently ("whisk") to sense the environment; the trunk itself must move to bring the whiskers into contact with nearby objects. Whiskers grow in rows along each side on the ventral surface of the trunk, which is thought to be essential in helping elephants balance objects there, whereas they are more evenly arranged on the dorsal surface. The number and patterns of whiskers are distinctly different between species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Deiringer |first1=Nora |last2=Schneeweiß |first2=Undine |last3=Kaufmann |first3=Lena V. |last4=Eigen |first4=Lennart |last5=Speissegger |first5=Celina |last6=Gerhardt |first6=Ben |last7=Holtze |first7=Susanne |last8=Fritsch |first8=Guido |last9=Göritz |first9=Frank |last10=Becker |first10=Rolf |last11=Ochs |first11=Andreas |last12=Hildebrandt |first12=Thomas |last13=Brecht |first13=Michael |date=2023-06-08 |title=The functional anatomy of elephant trunk whiskers |journal=Communications Biology |language=en |volume=6 |issue=1 |page=591 |doi=10.1038/s42003-023-04945-5 |pmid=37291455 |pmc=10250425 |issn=2399-3642}}</ref>

Damaging the trunk would be detrimental to an elephant's survival,<ref name=evolution /> although in rare cases, individuals have survived with shortened ones. One trunkless elephant has been observed to graze using its lips with its hind legs in the air and balancing on its front knees.<ref name=Shoshani74 /> [[Floppy trunk syndrome]] is a condition of trunk [[paralysis]] recorded in African bush elephants and involves the degeneration of the [[Peripheral nervous system|peripheral nerves]] and muscles. The disorder has been linked to lead poisoning.<ref name="NS">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg13618470.700-lead-in-lake-blamed-for-floppy-trunks-.html|title=Lead in lake blamed for floppy trunks|author=Cole, M.|date=14 November 1992|magazine=New Scientist|access-date=25 June 2009|archive-date=17 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517112426/http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg13618470.700-lead-in-lake-blamed-for-floppy-trunks-.html|url-status=live}}</ref>