Which kind of teeth are Elephant’s Tusks?

The teeth of Elephant are in the following formula.

• The two upper second incisors: these are the tusks.
• The milk precursors of the tusks.
• 12 premolars, 3 in each side of each jaw.
• 12 molars, 3 in each side of each jaw.

Thus the tusks are its second upper incisors. As we humans are right handed or left handed, the elephants are also left tusked or right tusked. The dominant tusk is called master tusk. It is a little shorter and more rounded. In African elephants both male and female have tusks which may be large , however in Asian elephants , the females have either very short tusks or no tusks at all. Tusk is also known as Ivory and craftsmen have favored it due to its property of carvability. This demand has contributed in the reduction of elephant’s population all over the world.