Editing Elephant (section)

=== Legs, locomotion, and posture ===
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|image1=Desert elephant (Loxodonta africana) feet.jpg|caption1=Front feet of bush elephant
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To support the animal's weight, an elephant's limbs are positioned more vertically under the body than in most other mammals. The long bones of the limbs have [[cancellous bone]]s in place of [[medullary cavity|medullary cavities]]. This strengthens the bones while still allowing [[haematopoiesis]] (blood cell creation).<ref name=Shoshani69>Shoshani, pp. 69–70.</ref> Both the front and hind limbs can support an elephant's weight, although 60% is borne by the front.<ref name="cushion">{{cite journal|author1=Weissengruber, G. E. |author2=Egger, G. F. |author3=Hutchinson, J. R. |author4=Groenewald, H. B. |author5=Elsässer, L. |author6=Famini, D. |author7=Forstenpointner, G. |year=2006|title=The structure of the cushions in the feet of African elephants (''Loxodonta africana'')|journal=Journal of Anatomy|volume=209|issue=6|pages=781–792|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00648.x|pmid=17118065|pmc=2048995}}</ref> The position of the limbs and leg bones allows an elephant to stand still for extended periods of time without tiring. Elephants are incapable of turning their [[Manus (anatomy)|manus]] as the [[ulna]] and [[Radius (bone)|radius]] of the front legs are secured in [[pronation]].<ref name=Shoshani69 /> Elephants may also lack the [[Pronator quadratus muscle|pronator quadratus]] and [[Pronator teres muscle|pronator teres]] muscles or have very small ones.<ref>Shoshani, p. 74.</ref> The circular feet of an elephant have soft tissues, or "cushion pads" beneath the manus or [[Pes (anatomy)|pes]], which allow them to bear the animal's great mass.<ref name=cushion /> They appear to have a [[Sesamoid bone|sesamoid]], an extra "toe" similar in placement to a [[giant panda]]'s extra "thumb", that also helps in weight distribution.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hutchinson|first1=J. R.|last2=Delmer|first2=C|last3=Miller|first3=C. E.|last4=Hildebrandt|first4=T|last5=Pitsillides|first5=A. A.|last6=Boyde|first6=A|year=2011|title=From flat foot to fat foot: structure, ontogeny, function, and evolution of elephant "sixth toes"|journal=Science|volume=334|issue=6063|pages=1699–1703|doi=10.1126/science.1211437|pmid=22194576 |bibcode=2011Sci...334R1699H |s2cid=206536505 |url=https://researchonline.rvc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5612/1/5612.pdf }}</ref> As many as five toenails can be found on both the front and hind feet.<ref name=Shoshani38 />

Elephants can move both forward and backward, but are incapable of [[trotting]], [[jumping]], or [[Horse gait|galloping]]. They can move on land only by walking or [[Ambling gait|ambling]]: a faster gait similar to running.<ref name=Shoshani69 /><ref name="kinetics"/> In walking, the legs act as pendulums, with the hips and shoulders moving up and down while the foot is planted on the ground. The fast gait does not meet all the criteria of running, since there is no point where all the feet are off the ground, although the elephant uses its legs much like other running animals, and can move faster by quickening its stride. Fast-moving elephants appear to 'run' with their front legs, but 'walk' with their hind legs and can reach a top speed of {{convert|25|km/h|abbr=on}}. At this speed, most other [[Quadrupedalism|quadrupeds]] are well into a gallop, even accounting for leg length. Spring-like kinetics could explain the difference between the motion of elephants and other animals.<ref name="kinetics">{{cite journal |author1 = Hutchinson, J. R.| author2 = Schwerda, D.| author3 = Famini, D. J.| author4 = Dale, R. H.| author5 = Fischer, M. S.| author6 = Kram, R.|year=2006|title=The locomotor kinematics of Asian and African elephants: changes with speed and size|journal=Journal of Experimental Biology|volume=209|issue=19|pages=3812–3827|pmid=16985198 |doi = 10.1242/jeb.02443|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal |author1=Hutchinson, J. R. |author2=Famini, D. |author3=Lair, R. |author4=Kram, R. |s2cid=4403723 |year=2003 |title=Biomechanics: Are fast-moving elephants really running? |journal=Nature |volume=422 |pages=493–494 |doi=10.1038/422493a |pmid=12673241 |issue=6931 |bibcode=2003Natur.422..493H |url=http://researchonline.rvc.ac.uk/id/eprint/124/ |access-date=3 January 2023 |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809231054/https://researchonline.rvc.ac.uk/id/eprint/124/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The cushion pads expand and contract, and reduce both the pain and noise that would come from a very heavy animal moving.<ref name=cushion /> Elephants are capable swimmers: they can swim for up to six hours while completely waterborne, moving at {{convert|2.1|km/h|0|abbr=on}} and traversing up to {{convert|48|km|mi|abbr=on}} continuously.<ref>Shoshani, p. 60.</ref>