Hair Elephants have sparse hair distributed unevenly on their body, with the most noticeable concentrations around the eyes, ear openings, chin, and tail. Young elephants are hairier than adults and their hair is reddish-brown in color. As they mature, the amount of hair is reduced and becomes darker.
Elephant hair and fur color vary significantly between individuals, ranging from dark black to pale brown or even white. It is believed that hair color is dependent on genetics and the environment, with genetic factors being more dominant. Let's learn all about the hair of an elephant and how it helps them regulate their body heat to stay healthy.
"Elephant skin color is primarily greyish or dusty looking, with sparser black hairs." (San Diego Zoo) "While elephant hair provides some minor color contrast, their overall visible coloration would be classified as grey." (Wildlife Conservation Society) These credible sources describe elephants as primarily grey animals. The Reality of Elephant Hair Elephants have hair distributed across their bodies, although it is typically sparse and coarse. This bristly hair is unevenly scattered, with concentrations around their eyes, ears, chin, trunks, and tails.
African elephants, for instance, have sparse, bristled dark-brown to black hair covering their thick, folded skin, while Asian elephants tend to have more hair. Elephant calves are born with a more substantial coat of hair, which is more noticeable than on adults. This initial hair covering tends to thin out as the calf matures, leading to the sparser distribution seen in adult elephants.
While both African and Asian elephants possess hair, Asian elephants are hairier than their African counterparts. The Surprising Truth Elephant hair differs significantly from the fur found on many other mammals, being sparse and bristly rather than dense and soft. From a distance, an elephant's skin might appear smooth, contributing to the common misconception that they lack hair.
Closer inspection reveals coarse, scattered hairs across their skin. When done properly, only an expert can tell the difference between real and artificial elephant hair, though artificial elephant hair does tend to be more consistent in diameter, color and quality. In fact about the same as medium thickness elephant hair, which, coincidentally is about the same as thicker giraffe hair.
Q. An Asian Elephant normally has a colour between brown and black. The colour is more like a really dark brown.
Why do elephants have hair? We dig into the reasons behind elephants having hair and why it might be a built-in air conditioner!