why are elephants skin so rough and cracked?
Answer Dear Amber Thank you for your question The elephant has thick skin on much of its body, but there are paper-thin areas of skin, on vulnerable area, such as behind the ears, by the eye and on the abdomen, chest and shoulders. Elephants have a thick, rough, sensitive skin to hold together the great mass of their organs and other body parts. The website http://www.upali.ch/skin_en.html compares buying a small amount of bread, which can be kept in a thin bag, or a large amount of bread, which requires a strong bag. If the skin were thinner, it would not be able to support the organs etc. The dermis, or true skin is 2 cm thick and has a thin epidermal covering (the outer skin), which is 0.5-2 mm thick. Papilla-like projections in the dermis protrude outward on to the surface, making the skin appear rough. This pattern is especially distinct on the front part of the trunk, the legs and the end of the tail. Some experts believe that these special skin features could serve for better he
