INTRODUCTION

My article is about new studies that show that wild elephants only sleep for two hours at night.

PROCEDURE

Scientists implanted activity monitors in the trunks of two elephants. Trunks, just like human hands, are important for exploring the world, so elephants rarely keep them still-unless they’re sleeping. The researchers assumed that if one of the monitors stayed still for at least five minutes, its host was most likely sleeping. Neck collars helped the researchers find out if the elephant was lying down or not. The devices tracked the elephants for about a month. The elephants averaged two hours of sleep a day. They were also able to skip a night’s sleep and not nap the next day. A threat nearby might explain their restlessness. Elephants in captivity don’t face many dangers.