The long prehensile organ of an elephant is commonly called its trunk.
An elephant’s trunk is a muscular combination of the nose and upper lip. It contains no bones and functions as a highly flexible muscular hydrostat, allowing the animal to bend, twist, stretch, and grip with remarkable precision. The scientific term proboscis is also correct, but “trunk” is the standard everyday name.
The trunk serves several roles at once. Elephants use it to breathe, smell, touch, gather food, draw water, communicate, dust their bodies, and help dig. They can lift heavy objects with it while also using the sensitive tip to pluck small pieces of food. An adult Asian elephant’s trunk can hold about 8.5 litres of water.
The tip differs between species. African elephants have two finger-like projections, while Asian elephants have one. Elephants do not drink through the trunk directly; they suck up water and then squirt it into their mouths or over their bodies. Underwater, the trunk can also act as a snorkel.