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Crooked Tooth


Crooked Tooth
Photo Information
Copyright: Marius Prinsloo (Pikkie) (44)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2010-01-26
Categories: Mammals
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/320 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): RARE or SIGNIFICANT contributions to TN 5, Kruger National Park 3 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2010-01-28 12:27
Viewed: 4231
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is my first posting on TN and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone that’s part of TN. Most of you know my wife Natley(Mamagolo2) and we’ve met Loot and Anna in the Kruger National Park during their much deserved holiday in September.
I took this photo Tuesday 26/01/2010 at the Sabledam – Kruger National Park. It was my birthday and I had the afternoon off. My wife suggested that I spend the afternoon in the park as it is so close to home and I’m glad I did because I could take this photo of the elephant with this unusual tusk growing abnormally to the side. It’s quite interesting to see an elephant with tusks like this one. I always wonder what happened in his younger days that caused this tusk to grow like this.
Some interesting facts about elephant tusks by The EleAid Trustees

Ivory Tusks – A Blessing and Curse
An elephants’ tusks are a blessing and curse. Blessing because they give a elephants a true majesty that rise them above other animals as well and being of use for various tasks. A curse because man’s avarice for ivory has led to the senseless slaughter of hundred of thousands of the magnificent animals.
One of the key differences between African and Asian elephants is the tusks. All African elephants, male and female have tusk whereas only some Asian males have tusks. About 50% of Asian females have short tusks known as tushes. Unlike proper tusks tushes have no pulp inside.

What is a tusk?
Usually in mammals tusks are enlarged canine teeth but in elephants they are actually elongated incisors. Tusks are essentially no different from other teeth. A third of the tusk is actually hidden from view, embedded deep into the elephant’s head. This part of the tusk is a pulp cavity made up of tissue, blood and nerves. The visible, ivory part of the tusk is made of dentine with an outer layer of enamel. Elephant ivory is unique which when viewed in cross-section reveals criss-cross lines that form a series of diamond shapes. Elephants tusk never stop growing so some old bulls display enormous examples. However the average size of tusks has decreased over the past hundred years because hunting elephants for their ivory has resulted in the ‘big tusk gene’ becoming increasingly rare.

What are tusk used for?
Elephants use their tusks for a variety of tasks. Principally they are formidable weapons against potential predators like the tiger (although tigers will only ever attack young or juvenile elephants) or in battle against other elephants. They are also used to aid foraging, digging, stripping bark and moving things out of the way. Trained logging elephants are capable of lifting large logs with their tusks. There is also a display element to tusks and they can attract the interest of females.
Evidence suggests that elephants normally prefer one tusk over the other, similar to being left or right handed in humans. The preferred tusk is known as the master tusk.
Hunting for Ivory
Ivory poaching for tusks are the main reason that elephants have been so heavily hunted. Elephant ivory has been used in huge amounts to make billiards balls, piano keys, identification chops and many other uses. Although hunting for ivory has been much more severe in Africa, on account of both males and females having tusks, there is no doubt that hunting and poaching has had an effect on the elephant numbers in Asia. In 1989 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) banned the ivory trade putting hunting outside the law. Poaching does still take place but in most of the Asian elephants range it is under control.
Comments are welcome.
Scott, loot, Miss_Piggy has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To loot: DankiePikkie 2 01-31 16:07
To Scott: Crooked ToothMamagolo2 1 01-29 12:03
To ana974: Crooked ToothMamagolo2 1 01-29 11:56
To pvs: Crooked ToothMamagolo2 1 01-29 11:53
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1127 W: 254 N: 3161] (14464)
  • [2010-01-28 13:43]
  • [+]

Hi Marius,

Welcome to TN,you are lucky to live so close to kruger,I have just returned from a 2 week stay and am back in the cold (-12C) again,a very nice capture of this indeed strange tusked elephant,thanks for sharing and hope to see more from your work,

Paul

Hi Marius,
Many congrats for this excellent picture, one of the best I´ve ever seen here showing the wild live.
Best wish and welcome to TN!
aNa

  • Great 
  • Scott Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 225 W: 0 N: 356] (1752)
  • [2010-01-28 18:09]
  • [+]

Marcus,

Dit is Lekker
You started well, A sight most of us would love to see, pachyderm in the wild. I would have darkened this a little ...

Thanks for Sharing

TFS
Scott

Hi Marius

First things first – Happy birthday. I hope you had a splendid day and by the look of
this posting you actually got a fabulous birthday present.

A warm welcome to you (slightly belated), but never the less I am happy to see that
you finally took the 1st step. I wish you a wonderful journey here on the TrekNature
site. I know that you are not "new" to the site, in the sense that you've been surfing
these pages and postings for quite some time already. At this stage you should be
pretty much up to speed with some of the activities here, but now the next episode
has only just begun. So, tighten your photographic seatbelt and enjoy the "ride".

To start with, you show us something which, in my experience, could be regarded
as rather exceptional, uncommon, and therefore seldom seen. In the 20 years or so
that I've been visiting our game parks I can recall seeing it on only 2 other occasions.
For this reason I have added your posting to my theme for "RARE or SIGNIFICANT
contributions to TN". I am going to make a few suggestions and I am confident that
you will realise that I am not trying to be over critical of this very interesting posting,
but that I am purely trying to assist and support you. For this reason I have prepared
2 workshops and I tried and explain the process in more detail there.

Well done and TFS.
Take care and have a great weekend.
Regards
Loot

Hallo Marius
Welcome to Trek Nature and may you have a most enjoyable and educational journey on the site. Now we have another husband and wife team, together with Ivan & Ulla, Horia & Mariana, Loot & myself are couples who I can quickly think of that is currently active but I know there are more, and now Marius & Natley. It is such a wonderful hobby to share and experience together.

You started your journey with a mighty big elephant with a noticeable crooked tusk which makes this not just another elephant photo. As Loot mentioned this is not something one see often and you must have very pleased to have been able to capture it. I have not seen something like this before, therefore it is a 1st for me as well. That is one of the reasons why I like being part of this site so much, as you see things for the 1st time, like now with this elephant with its unusual tusk, and you might share with others something that might be common or a regular sight for you but it is a 1st for somebody at the other side of the world, and in return one see the animal world and nature which one would never have the opportunity to see or experience.

I like the workshop Loot has done, and as he mentioned it is merely because he wants to support you. You are the person that captured this magnificent giant and therefore you get the well deserved smiley, he assisted to bring out the best in this lovely image by ways of a few changes here and there which enhanced the overall image. The elephant now being much closer, one can see more detail especially on the tusk. Thanks for sharing and I hope to see much more from your hand and lens. Best regards and have an enjoyable day.
Anna

Hellow Marius,
A great couple Anna and Loot are...I stay 20Km from them. This is a great portrait well framed and with good sharpness.A rather classic and unusual pic with its skew tusk, well done and TFS.
erwin...

Hi Marius,
A special birthday gift for you!

I have seen a similar deformity in a book specialised in African elephants.

TFS

Verite

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