Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Genus & Species: Elephas maximus
APPEARANCE
The Asian elephant is slightly smaller in size than the African elephant. It can
grow to be 8-10 ft in height and 18-20 ft in length. It is tallest at the arch of
the back. It weighs up to 11 000 pounds. Only the males have tusks and these
tusks are smaller than those of the African elephant. The ears are small and
do not cover the shoulders. The forehead has two humps and the trunk has a
single lobe at its tip. The front feet have five toes and the back feet have four
toes. Asian elephants can reach speeds of 40 km/h while running and 6.4
km/h while walking. Asian elephants are an oddity among mammals as they
grow until they die, which is usually around the age of sixty.
HABITAT
Asian elephants were once found throughout India and Southeastern Asia.
Now they are restricted to the mountains of India, Indochina, Sri Lanka,
Indonesia, and Southern China.
FOOD
The Asian elephant browses by using its trunk to pick up vegetation, fruit,
twigs, small branches, bark, and roots and placing it in its mouth. It needs to
eat 300 pounds of food each day and will starve if its trunk is damaged. It
also uses its trunk to drink.
ENEMIES
Humans are the Asian elephants main threat. They use elephants for
transportation, as beasts of burden, and will kill males for their ivory. The
fact that females don't have tusks has perhaps saved them from extinction.
In 1990 there were only somewhere between 42 600 and 57 500 of these
beautiful animals left. Lions, tigers, and hyaenas prey on the calves.
BREEDING
Asian elephants reach sexual maturity at the age of 15. They usually mate
during the wet season and the females carry the baby, as there is usually one,
for 22 months. At birth the calf weighs 200 lbs and is protected by other
elephants from carnivores.
RELATIVES
The Asian elephant is related to the African elephant and has four
subspecies: the Ceylon, Sumatran, Indian, and Malaysian elephants.
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