Future African Forest Elephant

The African Forest Elephant is a majestic creature with distinguishing features which climate change can affect. Its present adaptations include: -Pharyngeal pouches inside trunks that hold up to 2 gallons of water. -Big ears acting as giant fans to help stay cool. -Long ivory tusks. -Wrinkly, thick skin that is grey in color. In the future, elephants might have the following changes: -Expanded pharyngeal pouch holding water twice the amount to stay hydrated during drier days. -Larger ears to help cool down more efficiently from the blistering heat. -Shorter tusks due to repetitive loss of tusks from illegal poachers. -Thicker and wrinklier skin for higher heat protection and moisture retention, along with darker skin caused by increased sun exposure. To survive the future of climate change, elephants must adapt in many ways, as their habitat is going to change into a drier and lonelier savanna, unlike their lush forests.