Animal species with the biggest and most unique noses

An elephant's trunk contains around 40,000 tiny muscles and is used for various purposes: drinking water, grabbing food, dusting themselves to repel insects, and even as a snorkel when swimming.

Elephants' dexterity enables them to pick up objects as small as a single blade of grass and as heavy as large tree branches. This versatility is essential for their survival in diverse habitats across Africa and Asia. Elephants typically live in open and wooded savannahs but also spend time in deserts and forests.

African savannah elephants are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Threats to this species include habitat loss due to deforestation and agricultural expansion, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching for ivory and other body parts. They also have low reproductive rate s, which makes them more vulnerable to these threats.

Proboscis monkeys

Proboscis monkeys, native to the rainforests and mangroves of Borneo, are relatively large primates, with males standing up to 72 centimetres (30 inches) tall and weighing up to 22 kilograms (50 pounds). They have prominent brows, reddish-brown fur, and protruding bellies. Their most distinctive features, though, are their bulbous noses. In male proboscis monkeys, the nose is around 10 centimetres (four inches) long and hangs lower than its mouth.

This large, pendulous nose is thought to play a role in attracting females, as it helps males create louder calls that can travel through the dense forest. It's also believed that the nose helps with temperature regulation and enhances the monkeys' sense of smell. The word 'proboscis' refers to an elongated appendage from an animal's head, which is how these monkeys got their name.

Classified as an endangered species, proboscis monkey populations are threatened primarily by habitat destruction due to logging, palm oil plantations, and human settlement expansion. Hunting and poaching are further threatening their survival in the wild.

Saiga antelopes