| Physical Appearance: Asian
elephants differ in several ways from their African relatives. They have
smaller ears which are straight at the bottom, unlike the large fan-shape ears
of the African species. Asian elephants are much smaller, weighing between
6,615 and 11,020 pounds at a height of about 7 to 12 feet compared to the 8,820
to 15,430 at 10 to 13 feet of the African elephant.
The Sri Lankan species (E. m. maximus) is the largest, darkest, and
has patches of depigmentation (an area without color) on their ears,
face, trunk and belly. The Sumatran (E. m. sumatranus) elephant is the
smallest and lightest. The third sub-species, E. m. indicus has a mix of
characteristics from the two other sub-species.
Geographic Range: Asian elephants live in fragmented forests in
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,
Vietnam, China (extinct in wild), Malaysia, Indonesia, and Borneo.
Biomes: Tropical savanna, tropical rainforest, tropical deciduous
forest, mountains (Himalayas).
Habitat: Asian elephants live in many different habitats including
open grasslands, marshes, savannas and forests.
IUCN Status: Endangered The IUCN's Species Survival Commission's
Asian Elephant Specialist Group estimates that there are approximately 38,000
to 51,000 wild Asian elephants. In comparison, there are more than 600,000
African elephants.
Threats To Survival: The loss of habitat is the primary threat to
Asian elephants. Approximately 20% of the world's population lives in or near
the range of Asian elephants. The homes of these elephants are being cleared
for many reasons including warfare, agricultural development, human settlement,
and logging. Asian elephants are less prone to poaching (killing
elephants for ivory tusks) because few males (and no females) grow tusks. In
China, the penalty for poaching is the death sentence.
Conflicts between Asian elephants and humans often occur because of habitat
destruction. Sometimes there is not enough food in small forests to sustain
elephants, so they look for the nearest source which is usually the field of a
local farmer. (profiled in The Wild Times Winter 1996 issue) is studying
this human-elephant conflict and looking for ways to ease the tension.
"Bath Time" Asian cow and calves in Sri Lanka
photo by Mary Pearl
Reproductive Cycle and Habits: Female Asian
elephants are capable of giving birth approximately every 4-6 years, about 7
calves in a lifetime. Babies are carried inside elephant mothers for 19-22
months, almost 2 years. Asian elephants can live as long as 60-70 old. When
adult male elephants search for a female to breed with they produce musth
fluid signaling females that they are ready to mate. Elephants live in
matriarchal (mother headed) families. Mothers, grandmothers, sisters and
aunts all help raising babies. Male Asian elephants live alone or in male only
groups.
Diet: Asian elephants are among the largest herbivores (plant
eaters) preferring grasses, leaves, trees, and shrubs. Their diet varies from
acacia trees to wild mangos.
Language: How many ways can you communicate? Asian elephants talk to
each other by touch, sound and scent. When a young Asian elephant is stressed
and nervous they will go to an adult and place the tip of their trunk in the
adults mouth. Elephants also use a broad range of sounds to communicate.
Recently scientists noticed elephants talk to each other at infrasonic
(sounds humans are unable to hear) levels. Males secrete musth, a signal to
local females that males are ready to reproduce.
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"Elephant Crossing Sign from Indonesia"
Photo by Kathy Prout of Frank Antonides
Elephant Resources:
Books About Elephants
Rosy is My Relative
Faithful Elephants
Elephant Days & Nights
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