Are Elephants super Smartypants?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Who Smarted? – “Are Elephants super Smartypants?”

Release Date: March 16, 2026
Host: Jesse (Trusty Narrator)
Guests: Tembo (baby elephant), Bebe (elephant matriarch)

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Episode Overview

This episode of “Who Smarted?” takes listeners on a lively trip to the African savanna to learn all about elephants—their intelligence, biology, and crucial role in the ecosystem. Through a playful, interactive dialogue between Jesse, Tembo (a three-month-old elephant calf), and Bebe (the wise matriarch), the show uncovers fascinating elephant facts, busts some common myths, and highlights real-world elephant conservation challenges. With its trademark humor and energetic storytelling, the episode keeps kids and families laughing, thinking, and learning together.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet Tembo: The Baby Elephant

• Jesse introduces Tembo, who playfully compares himself to the listeners:
  • “Except I have a long trunk, giant ears, and weigh a few hundred pounds more.” (Tembo, 00:29)
• Quick facts:
  • Tembo is three months old (00:45).
  • Newborn elephants: over 200 lbs and 3 feet tall; adult males (“bulls”): ~18,000 lbs; females (“cows”): ~8,000 lbs (01:12).

2. Elephants Compared to Other Animals

• Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth (01:04).
• Clarifies that despite “bulls,” “cows,” and “calves” terminology, elephants are not closely related to cows but are mammals (01:47–02:11).

3. Intelligence and Brains

• Elephants have the largest brain of any land animal (02:19).
  • “Elephants are known to be very smart because it’s not just our bodies that are big, but our brains too.” (Tembo, 02:11)
• Playful joke about “smarty pants” coming in “size 200 XXL” (Tembo, 02:29).

4. Where Do Elephants Live?

• Not just Africa! Elephants are found in 13 Asian countries (Tembo, 03:21).
• Difference between African and Asian elephants:
  • African elephants: larger, two “fingers” at tip of trunk, larger ears resembling African continent
  • Asian elephants: one “finger,” smaller ears shaped like India (Tembo, 04:02)

5. Elephant Species and Prehistoric Connections

• Three species: African savanna, African forest, and Asian elephants (04:28).
• Related to prehistoric mammoths and mastodons (Tembo’s grandma did “Ancestry.com”) (04:28–04:51).

6. Conservation Challenges

• Sobering stats: 90% decline in African elephant population over the past century; Asian elephants have halved in last three generations (Tembo, 05:09).
• Main threats: habitat loss, poaching (for ivory), circus/tourism, crop conflicts (05:32).
• “A good first stomp—I mean, step—is to learn more about elephants and why it’s so important to keep us around.” (Tembo, 05:57)

7. Elephant Social Life: The Matriarchal Herd

• Herds are led by a matriarch (oldest, wisest female), with female elephants sticking together for life (06:08–06:40).
• Male elephants leave around ages 12–15 (Tembo, 06:08).

8. Elephant Diet and Myths

• Elephants are herbivores: grasses, leaves, bark, etc. (Tembo, 07:14).
• Busted myth: “Elephants do not eat peanuts in the wild, and most … don’t like them.” (Tembo, 07:37)
• Average adult elephant eats ~220 lbs (100 kg) of food every day (~70,000 calories); drinks ~50 gallons of water (Jesse & Tembo, 08:01–08:19).

9. Elephant Anatomy Fun

• The trunk is a combined nose/upper lip with over 40,000 muscles (Tembo, 08:35).
• Elephants spend 12–18 hours eating daily; half their food goes undigested (08:49–09:01).
• Elephants produce around a ton of dung per week, which fertilizes soil and spreads seeds (09:19).

10. Environmental Impact (“Ecosystem Engineers”)

• Elephants create water holes, footpaths, and new habitats for other animals just by moving and living daily life (Tembo, 09:38).

11. Olympic Abilities & Swimming

• Elephant Olympic question: Which sport would they win? Swimming! (12:12)
  • “Elephants are great swimmers. We can swim and float in water for hours and we use our trunks as a snorkel.” (Tembo, 12:08)
  • “Elephants can’t jump because our bodies are too heavy for our legs to propel upwards.” (Tembo, 12:25)

12. Meeting the Matriarch: Bebe

• Bebe demonstrates “mud bath” for sun protection; explains elephant skin’s thickness and ability to keep cool (12:49).
• “Our skin is very important. It’s around 1 inch thick and all our wrinkles and folds help us retain water and keep cool.” (Bebe, 12:58)
• Matriarchs can live up to 70+ years; are the best teachers (Bebe, 13:24).

13. Elephant Memory and Emotions

• “Is it true elephants never forget?” Yes! Elephants have impressive memories—larger, denser temporal lobes than humans (Bebe, 13:39).
• Capable of math, music, art, language distinction.
• Show empathy, help injured herd members, grieve losses (Bebe, 14:03).
• Advanced communicators: trumpet calls (some below human hearing), body language, recognize calls of at least 100 individuals (Bebe, 14:21–14:49).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jesse: “That’s huge. Especially considering the average human baby only weighs about 7 pounds or 3.1 kilograms.” (01:47)
• Tembo: “Elephants are known to be very smart because it’s not just our bodies that are big, but our brains too.” (02:11)
• Tembo: “Except our smarty pants come in size 200 XXL.” (02:29)
• Jesse: “Wow, cool elefact, Tembo.” (04:25)
• Tembo: “My grandma did ancestry.com and found out we’re from the same elephant family as the mammoths and mastodons of the prehistoric era. Cool.” (04:28)
• Tembo: “A good first stomp—I mean, step—is to learn more about elephants and why it’s so important to keep us around.” (05:57)
• Bebe: “Why, yes. I don’t want you to get a sunburn.” (On throwing mud, 12:53)
• Bebe: “Elephants throw mud, sand and dust on our skin to protect it from the hot sun.” (12:58)
• Bebe: “Elephants have also been known to show empathy or the ability to understand another’s feelings. We help injured elephants and humans and feel sad when a loved one dies.” (14:03)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:03–01:47 – Introduction to elephants and size comparisons
• 02:11–02:29 – Elephant brains and intelligence
• 03:12–04:28 – African vs. Asian elephants, species overview
• 05:08–06:04 – Conservation issues, elephant endangerment
• 06:08–06:54 – Matriarchal herds and elephant social structure
• 07:10–07:37 – Diet myths & eating habits
• 08:01–09:19 – Daily diet, water needs, digestive impact
• 09:38–10:01 – Environmental benefits of elephants
• 12:08–12:35 – Swimming skills and athletic abilities
• 12:49–13:24 – Skin care and matriarch lifespan
• 13:32–14:17 – Memory, intelligence, and emotions
• 14:21–14:49 – Communication and herd recognition

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Final Thoughts

This episode masterfully weaves together fun facts, conservation messages, and interactive trivia, leaving listeners both entertained and educated. By anthropomorphizing Tembo and Bebe, the podcast fosters empathy for elephants and curiosity for science. The mix of jokes (“smarty pants size 200 XXL!”), myth-busting, and scientific detail provides a perfect learning experience for all ages.

Call to Action:

• Listeners are encouraged to learn more about elephants and support conservation efforts to ensure these incredible animals continue to thrive.

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Special Acknowledgment: Dr. Antoinette van de Water, director and founder of “Bring the Elephants Home,” for her work in rescue and habitat restoration (15:05).
Jumbo shout out to listener Carter in Atlanta, GA—aspiring veterinarian and animal superfan!

Transcript

[Jesse]

And now it's time for whosmarted.

[Tembo]

Psst.

[Jesse]

Hey, smartypants. Trusty narrator here. Guess what animal I'm with. If you said an elephant, you're right for today, Smarting. I've globetrotted to the African savanna to learn about these gentle giants who also happen to be curious explorers and super smart.

[Tembo]

Just like you, trusty narrator.

[Jesse]

Aw, that's nice of you to say. I was gonna say you're a lot like the smarty pants. Listening.

[Tembo]

Except I have a long trun giant ears and weigh a few hundred pounds more.

[Jesse]

Good point. Why don't you tell the smarty pants your name, Tommy?

[Tembo]

Tembo. It means elephant in the African language. Swahili.

[Jesse]

Nice. And how old are you, Tembo?

[Tembo]

I'm three months old.

[Jesse]

Three months? You're still a baby even though you're bigger than me. And I'm definitely not a baby.

[Tembo]

What did you expect, Trusty? I'm an elephant.

[Jesse]

Another good point, smarty pants. True or false? Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. The answer is true.

[Tembo]

But if you think I'm big, wait until you see the grownups in my family.

[Jesse]

And how big do they get?

[Tembo]

Elephants grow around 10ft tall to shoulder. And adult African male elephants, called bulls, weigh about 18,000 pounds or 8,000 kilograms. Adult African female elephants, called cows, are a little smaller and only weigh around 8,000 pounds or 3, 629 kilograms. Only baby elephants like me are called calves. Newborns weigh over 200 pounds or 91 kilograms and stand 3ft or 1 meter tall.

[Jesse]

That's huge. Especially considering the average human baby only weighs about 7 pounds or 3.1 kilograms. Also, I'm noticing a bovine theme with the bulls, cows and calves. Smarty pants, are elephants related to cows? The answer is no.

[Tembo]

While we're both mammals, we're not related.

[Jesse]

Gotcha. You sure are smart, Tembo.

[Tembo]

Thanks, Jesse. Elephants are known to be very smart because it's not just our bodies that are big, but our brains too.

[Jesse]

True or false? Elephants have the largest brain of any land animal. The answer is true. Like I said, elephants are are a lot like smarty pants.

[Tembo]

Except our smarty pants come in size 200 XXL.

[Jesse]

I can see we're gonna learn a lot about elephants. Like how much do they eat? Is it true? They never forget. And why are elephants good for the environment? It's time to trumpet in another big whiff of science on

[Trusty Narrator]

who smarted? Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun on who's smarting.

[Jesse]

Like I said, today I'm in the African savannah. Is Africa the only continent you can find elephants, smartypants? What do you think the answer is?

[Tembo]

Nope. Elephants can also be found in Asia. Currently, Asian elephants live in 13 countries. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

[Jesse]

And do Asian and African elephants look the same?

[Tembo]

Not quite. For one thing, African elephants are a little bigger than Asian elephants. But besides our size, do you know how you can tell the difference between African and Asian elephants?

[Jesse]

Uh, that's a big no for me. Do you know, smarty pants?

[Tembo]

I'll give you a clue. That's right, our trunks. African elephants have what look like two fingers at the tip of our trunks, while Asian elephants only have one. African elephants have larger ears shaped sort of like the African continent, while Asian elephants have smaller ears shaped more like. Like the country of India.

[Jesse]

Wow, cool elefact, Tembo.

[Tembo]

But wait, there's more. Elephants belong to three species. African savanna elephants, like me, African forest elephants, and Asian elephants. Also, my grandma did ancestry.com and found out we're from the same elephant family as the mammoths and mastodons of the prehistoric era. Cool.

[Jesse]

As in Ice age cool, Smarty pants. You probably know that mammoths and mastodons are extinct, which means they don't exist anymore.

[Tembo]

That's sad. But here's some even sadder truths. Modern elephants might also be on the road to becoming extinct.

[Jesse]

Really?

[Tembo]

Really. 90% of African elephants have been wiped out in the past century. And Asian elephants have declined by half in the last three generations. That leaves only about 415,000 African elephants and around 1 40,000 Asian elephants living in the wild.

[Jesse]

Oh, no. How did elephants become so endangered?

[Tembo]

For one thing, humans are taking over our habitats where we live. And many have been killed by poachers for our ivory tusks, which humans sell as jewelry or art. Some elephants are taken from the wild and trained to perform in circuses or to give rides to tourists. And many farmers don't want elephants because they think we'll damage their crops.

[Jesse]

Yikes. What can the smarty pants and I do to help?

[Tembo]

Well, a good first stomp, I mean, step, is to learn more about elephants and why it's so important to keep us around.

[Jesse]

That's why we're here. Lay some more smirting on us, Tembo.

[Tembo]

You know, I'm wondering if we shouldn't find an even bigger and wiser brain to answer your fun elephant questions and the wise elephant I know is my grandma. My grandma is the matriarch of my herd. A herd is a community of elephant families, and a matriarch is a female, that is the head of a family. Female elephants usually stay with their herds for life, while male elephants move away when they're about 12 to 15 to live on their own or in small groups with other bulls.

[Jesse]

And since it's a matriarchy, that means the women rule.

[Tembo]

My baby, which means grandmother in Swahili, is the leader of our herd. She, like other elephant matriarchs, are the best teachers.

[Jesse]

Kind of like my grandmother, who is always trying to teach me how to make meat cake.

[Trusty Narrator]

Start with eight pounds of ground beef. Cumin, salt, paprika, garlic.

[Jesse]

Please. Another time, Grandma. I'm learning about elephants.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, I bet elephants would love my meat cake.

[Tembo]

Actually, elephants are herbivores. Which means what?

[Jesse]

What do herbivores eat? Did you say plants? That's right.

[Tembo]

Grasses, leaves, shrubs, roots, twigs, tree bark and veggies. Yum.

[Trusty Narrator]

So are you saying no meat cake?

[Jesse]

No. No meat cake. But I did bring some peanuts. Elephants love peanuts, right?

[Tembo]

Actually, elephants do not eat peanuts in the wild, and most elephants don't like them. Whoa. Sorry, Trusty.

[Jesse]

No worries. Thanks for busting that Ella myth. So, where is your grandma?

[Tembo]

She and the other elephant elders are hanging out by the riverbank. We just have to cross that river. But first, let's eat. I'm hungry.

[Jesse]

Smartypants, can you guess, on average, how much an adult elephant eats every day? Is it around A, 20 pounds of food, B, 220 pounds, or C, 820 pounds? The answer is, B, around 220 pounds of food. That's about 70,000 calories.

[Tembo]

Elephants also drink around 50 gallons of water every day. We use our very strong and useful trunks to smell our food, lift it to our mouths, and slurp up gallons of water.

[Jesse]

Smarty pants. Imagine using your nose to eat and drink.

[Tembo]

Keep in mind, trusty, our trunks actually serves as our nose and upper lip. Did you know our trunks have over 40,000 mussels in them?

[Jesse]

I did not.

[Tembo]

Well, you do now.

[Jesse]

Wow, you're still going? I thought you were almost done.

[Tembo]

Nope. Elephants spend 12 to 18 hours eating every day, and half of what we eat may leave our bodies undigested.

[Jesse]

I see. I know what you're thinking, smarty pants. Don't worry. I'll ask Tembo. How much does an elephant poop per week?

[Tembo]

What do you think? Is it £1,000, 1 ton or 1 megaton?

[Jesse]

Oh, either way, that's A lot. I'll guess a ton.

[Tembo]

You got it. Trusty elephants make about a ton of poop per week. And our poop, called dung, is a natural fertilizer for the soil, has nutrients for other species and helps spread tree seeds.

[Jesse]

Sounds like elephants do their duty for the environment.

[Tembo]

Ha. Nice one. But that's not all we do to help the environment. Elephants are always exploring and sometimes march along distances up to 6, 30 miles a day to find water. We dig water holes and create footpaths, which changes the landscape and helps make homes for lots of other species to live in.

[Jesse]

Wow. Just by being elephants, you're doing good things for the ecosystem.

[Tembo]

Yep. Which is why you and the smarty pants want to keep elephants around. Of course, that's not the only thing we're good at.

[Jesse]

Smarty pants. If elephants were allowed in the Olympics, which sport would they win a medal in? Is it A, swimming, B, long jump, or C, rhythmic gymnastics? The answer is right after this quick break. Spring is here. And if you're a homeschool family trying to finish the year strong, I want to tell you about ixl. It's the award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into your homeschool routine, covering math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade. What I love most about IXL is how it adapts to each child's pace. Whether your kid needs to reinforce foundational skills before an assessment or push ahead into new material, IXL meets them exactly where they are with no pressure and real encouragement built right in. Kids earn rewards, see their own progress, and actually field good about learning. And for parents, the real time progress tracking is a game changer. You always know exactly where your child stands. Plus, it makes learning fun. And you know, I love that. Over 15 million students use IXL and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states. So make an impact on your child's learning. Whosmarted listeners get an exclusive 20% [e-mail] that's IXL.com smarted for your 20% off. Now back to who smarted? So, smarty pants, in which Olympic sport would an elephant probably win a medal? Is it A, swimming, B, long jump, or C, rhythmic gymnastics? Well, if you've ever seen Fantasia, you might think elephants can dance. But the answer is. Tembo. You're swimming in the river.

[Tembo]

Yep. Elephants are great swimmers. We can swim and float in water for hours and we use our trunks as a snorkel. So the answer is A swimming.

[Jesse]

Right? I didn't think it Was long jumping?

[Tembo]

No, Elephants can't jump because our bodies are too too heavy for our legs to propel upwards.

[Jesse]

But you sure can swim.

[Tembo]

Jump in. We'll swim over my grandma.

[Jesse]

Okay. Cannonball.

[Tembo]

Phoebe, meet the trusty narrator and my smarty pants friends.

[Bebe]

Hello, trusty. Hello, smarty friends.

[Jesse]

Hi, B.B. uh, Bebe, did you just throw mud on me?

[Bebe]

Why, yes. I don't want you to get a sunburn.

[Tembo]

Thanks, baby.

[Bebe]

Elephants throw mud, sand and dust on our skin to protect it from the hot sun. Our skin is very important. It's around 1 inch thick and all our wrinkles and folds help us retain water and keep cool.

[Jesse]

Ah, I see. I gotta say, this mud facial feels pretty good. So, BB Temo explained you're the matriarch and wisest elephant in your herd.

[Bebe]

Thanks. You learn a lot when you get to be my age. Elephant elders can live 70 years or even longer.

[Jesse]

And is it true that elephants never forget? What do you think, smartypants?

[Bebe]

Well, it is true. Elephants have incredible memories. Our temporal lobes, the part of our brains associated with memory, are larger and denser than humans. Scientists have recognized elephants can understand basic math, create art, recognize and recreate music, and understand differences in human language.

[Jesse]

That's amazing.

[Bebe]

Elephants have also been known to show empathy or the ability to understand another's feelings. We help injured elephants and humans and feel sad when a loved one dies.

[Tembo]

Plus, we're excellent communicators. Right, Bebe?

[Bebe]

Right. Elephants communicate through trumpet calls, and some are so low pitched, humans can't even hear them. We also use body language, like touching our trunks together to greet one another and show affection.

[Jesse]

Ah, that's so cute.

[Bebe]

That's not all. Elephants learn each other's unique sounds and can recognize contact calls of at least 100 friends and family members.

[Tembo]

Yep, we love our herd just like

[Jesse]

people love their family and friends.

[Trusty Narrator]

Speaking of, who wants to try my new vegan meat cake? Where's everybody going?

[Jesse]

A special thank you to Dr. Antoinette van de Water, director and founder of Bring the elephants home. Dr. Vandewater and her teams in Thailand and South Africa are hard at work rescuing elephants by restoring their habitats. Plus, she's a huge who's smarted fan. A jumbo sized shout out to my smarty friend Carter in Atlanta, Georgia. I hear you love animal facts and that you want to be a veterinarian someday. Yay. That is awesome, Carter. Keep learning, dreaming big and smarting. On this episode. Elephants was written by Leanne French and voiced by Katie Lou Chastain, Melissa Del Toro, Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn, who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis, who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.