One of the more interesting grooming operations we perform on the elephants is the pedicure. Each toe of the foot has a nail attached to the skin and not directly to the toe bones. We use a small power file to clean and file the nail. This is done every 2 to 3 weeks or as often as it is needed. Elephants walk on their toes, although they appear to be flat-footed. The 'heel' of the foot is really a pad of fatty and elastic connective tissues.