Sixteen to eighteen hours, or nearly 80% of an elephant’s day is spent feeding. Elephants consume grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots.

Tree bark is a favorite food source for elephants. It contains calcium and roughage, which aids digestion. Tusks are used to carve into the trunk and tear off strips of bark.

Elephants require about 68.4 to 98.8 L (18 to 26 gal.) of water daily, but may consume up to 152 L (40 gal.). An adult male elephant can drink up to 212 L (55 gal.) of water in less than five minutes.

To supplement the diet, elephants will dig up earth to obtain salt and minerals. The tusks are used to churn the ground. The elephant then places dislodged pieces of soil into its mouth, to obtain nutrients. Frequently these areas result in holes that are several feet deep and vital minerals are made accessible to other animals. Ex: Over time, African elephants have hollowed out deep caverns in a volcano mountainside on the Ugandan border, to obtain salt licks and minerals. Hills have been carved by Asian elephants in India and Sumatra searching for salt and minerals. These carved areas in the landscape provide valuable food and shelter resources for a diverse array of native wildlife.

Elephants are herbivores with a diet consisting primarily of grasses, leaves, bark, and fruits. Their trunks are multi-purpose tools that help them eat.

1. Grasping Food: Elephants use their trunks to grasp vegetation, such as grass, leaves, and branches. The trunk is prehensile, meaning it can grip objects.
2. Dusting off Food: Before consuming food, they often use their trunks to dust it off, removing dirt and insects.
3. Bringing Food to Mouth: Once the food is grasped, the elephant lifts its trunk and places the food directly into its mouth.
4. Chewing and Grinding: Elephants have large, flat molars that grind plant matter. They spend a significant portion of their day chewing to break down the tough cellulose in their diet.
5. Water Consumption: Elephants also use their trunks to drink water. They suck water into their trunks and then pour it into their mouths. An adult elephant can drink up to 50 gallons of water a day.

Sources:

• African Wildlife Foundation - Elephant