The elephant or pachyderm, is known as one of the largest living land mammals on earth. It is a descendent of the Mammoths or Mastodons which roamed the earth over 10,000 years ago during the Ice Age. Although elephants look very similar to one another, there are actually three different and unique species: the African Bush, African Forest, and Asian Elephant. Asian elephants tend to have a lot of hair on their bodies and have a curved spine, whereas African elephants are have large ears and tusks. The elephant is recognized as having extremely thick skin, up to one inch in thickness and can weigh over eight tons! Most of the time, elephants are noted for their grey skin which they cover with mud to keep cool under the blazing sun, use it to protect them from insects and use it to regulate their core body temperatures. This is why elephants are often found near mud pools, or in rivers as this provides them a safe spot under the sun. Elephants do not have any natural predators in the wild, although large cats such as lions, tigers and leopards may go after a smaller calf which can weigh up to 260 pounds when born, if they feel like they can secure the take down without getting trampled by the herd.