The African Elephant's ( Loxodonta africana ) trunk is extremely versatile and is used to pluck food, even beating sand off grassroots before eating, as well as to suck water up and either pump it into the mouth or over the body as a cooling spray. The ears of the African elephant are much larger than those of the Indian elephant. The ears are liberally supplied with blood vessels and when flapped act as radiators to cool the blood.