What's Inside An Elephant Trunk?

An elephant’s trunk is like a super-strong, stretchy hose that can do lots of cool things.

Inside an elephant's trunk, there are many muscles working together, kind of like the strings in a puppet. These muscles let the elephant bend, twist, and even grab things with its trunk. Think about how you use your hands to pick up toys or eat snacks; the elephant uses its trunk in a similar way, but much bigger!

• The trunk has two parts: one that comes from the nose and one from the upper lip.
• Inside these parts are lots of tendons, which are like tight ropes that help move things around.

When an elephant wants to pick up something, like a branch or a banana, it uses its muscles and tendons to squeeze and pull, just like you might use your fingers to grab something. Sometimes the trunk can even act like a hand, letting the elephant hold on to things for a long time!