Donphan are light-gray elephant-like Pokémon. It is a thick, black band of hide that runs down the length of Donphan's back and extends to the trunk, resembling a car tire. Donphan have four short legs with three claws with each leg having a black band around them. They also sport a pair of white tusks, which are smaller for females, and elongated ears held stiffly to Donphan's sides.
Donphan are light-gray elephant-like Pokémon. There is a thick, black band of hide that runs down the length of Donphan's back and extends to the trunk, resembling a car tire. Donphan have four short legs with three claws with each leg having a black band around them. They also sport a pair of white tusks, and elongated ears held stiffly to Donphan's sides.
====Gender differences====
It has the ability to curl up into a ball and violently roll around like a wheel. Once it starts its rampage it will be almost unstoppable. These rolling tackles are strong enough to knock down a house. Its hide is also very tough as regular attacks won't leave a scratch on it. Donphan travel in a herd that is led by a single Donphan. The larger the tusks, the higher its rank in the herd will be.
A female Donphan has shorter tusks than a male.
===Special abilities===
During their breeding season, male Donphan compete for mates by rolling as well to show how tough they are. This rolling is known as the Love Dance. Donphan are also known to have a keen sense of smell, at least in the sense of being able to detect amberite, and will upraise their trunks into the air to smell for it. These Pokémon seem to prefer {{DL|List of Pokémon by habitat|Rough-terrain Pokémon|rough}}, mountainous terrain.
It has the ability to curl up into a ball and violently roll around like a wheel. Once it starts its rampage it will be almost unstoppable. These {{m|Rollout|rolling tackles}} are strong enough to knock down a house. Its hide is also very tough. Regular attacks won't leave a scratch on it.
===Behavior===
Donphan travel in a herd that is led by a single Donphan. The larger the tusks, the higher its rank in the herd will be. They are also prone to going on violent rampages by curling into a ball and rolling almost nonstop. During their breeding season, male Donphan compete for mates by rolling as well to show how tough they are. This rolling is known as the Love Dance. Donphan are also known to have a keen sense of smell, at least in the sense of being able to detect amberite, and will upraise their trunks into the air to smell for it.
===Habitat===
These Pokémon seem to prefer rough, mountainous terrain.
[[File:Rough-terrain Habitat.png|thumb|{{DL|List of Pokémon by habitat|Rough-terrain Pokémon}}]]
Donphan are light-gray elephant-like Pokémon. It is a thick, black band of hide that runs down the length of Donphan's back and extends to the trunk, resembling a car tire. Donphan have four short legs with three claws with each leg having a black band around them. They also sport a pair of white tusks, which are smaller for females, and elongated ears held stiffly to Donphan's sides.
It has the ability to curl up into a ball and violently roll around like a wheel. Once it starts its rampage it will be almost unstoppable. These rolling tackles are strong enough to knock down a house. Its hide is also very tough as regular attacks won't leave a scratch on it. Donphan travel in a herd that is led by a single Donphan. The larger the tusks, the higher its rank in the herd will be.
During their breeding season, male Donphan compete for mates by rolling as well to show how tough they are. This rolling is known as the Love Dance. Donphan are also known to have a keen sense of smell, at least in the sense of being able to detect amberite, and will upraise their trunks into the air to smell for it. These Pokémon seem to prefer rough, mountainous terrain.
Donphan, the Armor Pokémon. With its strong tusks and tough skin, Donphan is known for its powerful Tackle attack. The length of Donphan's tusks indicates its level.
A Donphan appeared in Clefairy, the Battle Instructor under the ownership of a Trainer who had trouble controlling it. Donphan would usually fall asleep and did so since its loss to Silver's Totodile.
Donphan's favorite attack is curling its body into a ball, then charging at its foe while rolling at high speed. Once it starts rolling, this Pokémon can't stop very easily.
If Donphan were to tackle with its hard body, even a house could be destroyed. Using its massive strength, the Pokémon helps clear rock and mud slides that block mountain trails.
A Donphan is so strong it can easily haul a dump truck. Its hide has toughened to a rock-hard state. An ordinary sort of attack won't even leave a scratch.
Donphan shares the same species name with Tyranitar. They are both known as the Armor Pokémon.
Donphan and Ursaring, along with their pre-evolutions, are the only Pokémon to swap version-exclusive status between localizations. While Phanpy and Donphan are found only in the Japanese Gold, they are not found in Gold in other languages, being found in the Silver Version of those languages instead, with Teddiursa and Ursaring getting the opposite treatment. This is corrected in the remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver, where they follow the Japanese Gold and Silver.
Origin
It appears to have been based on an adult elephant, although it resembles the tire of an automobile when curled up or using its trademark Rollout attack. As both Phanpy and Donphan are much smaller compared to humans than conventional African or Asian elephants, they may have actually been inspired by the Dwarf elephant or Pygmy elephant.
Name origin
Donphan and Donfan are a combination of don and elephant. Don may refer to lord; a root word meaning teeth, referring to its tusks; or mastodon, a prehistoric elephant. Don may have also been included to reflect Donphan's robust physique and great strength, especially in comparison to Phanpy.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.