You might also ask, 'Why do they have long trunks and tusks?' In the course of their evolution, elephants developed so that they were suited to eating one particular kind of vegetation and now they are specifically suited to eating leafy branches. Big branches or small tree trunks are broken between the elephant's trunk and the tusks until they are small enough to be eaten. Then the teeth of herbivore, which are giant molars, come into play. These teeth grind the branches and leaves until they are small enough to be digested by the elephant.
The large ears of the elephants serve a completely different purpose, that is, to ward off biting, stinging insects. In comparison to the mobile ears of animals like deer and antelope, which are very sensitive, elephants' ears are basic and unperfected, despite their enormous size. They are mainly used as large flyswatters. The trunk is also used against insects. The elephant showers itself in water to get rid of any pests. Sometimes it will use mud instead of water. This mud dries in the sun and falls off in lumps, taking the parasites with it. In fact, some women use the same form of beauty treatment!
Ask a Question