A baby African elephant weighs 200 pounds and stands about 3 feet tall at birth. Asian elephants are slightly smaller, though not by much.
Whole spices can be kept longer --- for up to about four years for unopened containers; less for opened ones. One of the best ways to tell if your spices and herbs are too old is to open the container and smell the contents. Weak or no aroma means tasteless food. Old spices and herbs do not add flavor to your food.
Most spices can last as long as you want them to because, with the exception of a few, like sesame seed or poppy seed that can go rancid, they don't go bad. But, let's not go there. Instead, know that when you calculate the cost per pound of your recipe, the spices and herbs usually are the cheapest ingredients.