how long is an elephant pregnant?
Reproduction and life cycle Elephant calves Elephant social life revolves around breeding and raising of the calves. A female will usually be ready to breed around the age of thirteen, when she comes into estrus, a short phase of receptiveness lasting a couple of days, for the first time. Females announce their estrus with smell signals and special calls. Female African elephant with calf, in Kenya.Females prefer bigger, stronger, and, most importantly, older males. Such a reproductive strategy tends to increase their offspring’s chances of survival. After a twenty-two-month pregnancy, the mother will give birth to a calf that will weigh about 113 kg (250 lb) and stand over 76 cm (2.5 ft) tall. Elephants have a very long childhood. They are born with fewer survival instincts than many other animals. Instead, they must rely on their elders to teach them the things they need to know.
How long does an elephant cow’s menstrual cycle last? An elephant cow’s oestrogen cycle lasts 3-4 months. Thus an elephant cow is only ready to be covered by the bull about 3 to 4 times per year. This is not very often and makes it all the more difficult to successfully breed elephants in zoos. Are there any outward signs? An elephant cow shows no outward signs indicating that she is in heat. That is why it is important that the elephant cow and the elephant bull can meet freely for a few hours daily. How often is an elephant cow covered by the elephant bull? When an elephant cow has her oestrus, the bull covers her daily for 3 to 4 days. In a zoo, the bull should only be let in to the cows, however, when he is not in musth, as he can behave very unpredictably when this is the case. Ideally, the elephant bull is let into the enclosure where the elephant cows are kept. Mating takes place in the presence of the entire family group. It is a natural process which seems to absorb the whole
