African elephantThe African bush elephant, Loxodonta, has adapted to its hostile environment. They are found throughout most of Zimbabwe and Botswana. Rainfall in Botswana mainly occurs in December, January and February, which constitutes the rainy season. There is 600 mm of rain in northeastern Botswana and 200 mm in the drier southwest. (Siyabona Africa, 2014, said) Adaptations: Limbs Skeleton An elephant has a large skull to use as a weapon when competing with other elephants on territory or for female elephants to protect their young from intruding elephants. Skin and thermoregulation: The skin of elephants is thick in certain areas of the body, we speak of pachyderms. Their skin is up to 1 inch thick in most areas, but on some body parts like the legs, end of the trunk, and back, the skin is only between 1 inch and 3 inches thick. cm thick. The skin is very thin behind the ears, around the eyes, abdomen, chest and shoulders. They have sparse hairs that help cool the elephant's temperature. The African bush elephant has deep, fine wrinkles where water is stored to moisten the skin, which is essential where it lives in dry conditions. The water in the wrinkles will evaporate, cooling the elephant's body temperature. There are two layers in the skin which are the epidermis and dermis contained within these are the hair follicles and glands. In the elephant's ears are fine blood vessels that are close to the surface of the skin. Warm blood from the elephant's body is pumped into the blood vessels. The blood will be cooled by the outside air and then it will be reinjected into the body, this is important to maintain the internal temperature of the elephant at 37 degrees where the environment...... middle of paper .... ..r room. The veins that carry blood to the atrium from the lower half of the body are paired. (Body Systems, 2014). Deoxygenated blood circulates via the vena cava to the right atrium. The right atrium then contracts, causing blood to enter the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve. The right ventricle contracts, passing blood through the pulmonary artery and then into the capillaries, or blood vessels, of the lungs. In the lungs, carbon dioxide is then carried away by red blood cells. Oxygenated blood from the lungs will be carried into the left atrium and then pushed into the left ventricle through the bicuspid valve. The left ventricle then pumps oxygenated blood through the aorta and then throughout the body. This means that the elephant has a double circulation system since it passes through the heart twice..