Francais | English | Espanõl

Asian Elephant

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
iAsian Elephant<ref name=MSW>Shoshani, Jeheskel (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 90. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.</ref>
Image:Asian elephant - melbourne zoo.jpg
Conservation status
Image:Status iucn2.3 EN.svg
Endangered (EN)<ref>Asian Elephant Specialist Group (1996). Elephas maximus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN A1cd v2.3) </ref>

</div>

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Genus: Elephas
Species: E. maximus
Binomial name
Elephas maximus
Linnaeus, 1758
Image:Elphas maximus range.png
Asian Elephant range

Image:Asian elephant eating - melbourne zoo.jpg The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), sometimes known by the name of its nominate subspecies (the Indian Elephant), is one of the three living species of elephant, and the only living species of the genus Elephas. The species is found primarily in large parts of India, Sri Lanka, Indochina peninsula and parts of Indonesia. It is smaller than its African relatives, and the easiest way to distinguish the two is the smaller ears of the Asian Elephant. The Asian Elephant tends to grow to around two to four meters (7-12 feet) in height and 3,000-5,000 kilograms (6,500-11,000 pounds) in weight. Image:Elephantskeleton.jpg The Asian Elephant has other differences from its African relatives, including a more arched back than the African, one semi-prehensile "finger" at the tip of its trunk as opposed to two, 4 nails on each hind foot instead of three, and 19 pairs of ribs instead of 21. Also, unlike female African elephants, the female Asian Elephant lacks tusks. The forehead has two hemispherical bulges unlike the flat front of the African. Some males may also lack tusks and they are termed as makhnas. The population in Sri Lanka has a greater number of makhnas.

This animal is widely domesticated, and has been used in forestry in South and Southeast Asia for centuries and also for use in ceremonial purposes. Historical sources point out they were sometimes used during the harvest season primarily for milling. Wild elephants attract tourist money to the areas where they can most readily be seen, but damage crops and may enter villages to raid gardens.

Contents

[edit] Behaviour

Image:Pooram Elephant 4.jpg

Elephant herds in the wild follow well defined seasonal migration routes. These are made around the monsoon seasons, often between the wet and dry zones, and it is the task of the eldest to remember and follow the traditional migration routes. When human farms are found in these old routes there is often considerable damage made to crops and it is common for elephants to be killed in the ensuing conflicts.

Elephants live on average for 60 years in the wild and 80 in captivity.<ref>Asian Elephant - Animal facts (HTML). Retrieved on 2006-06-21.</ref> They eat 10% of their body weight each day, which is for adults between 170 - 200 kilos of food per day. They need 80 - 200 litres of water a day and use more for bathing. They sometimes scrape soil for minerals.

Elephants use infrasound to communicate and this was first noted by the Indian naturalist M. Krishnan and later studied by Katherine Payne.<ref>Payne, Katherine (1998). Silent Thunder. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-80108-6.</ref>

[edit] Female behaviour

Female elephants live in small groups. They have a matriarchal society and the group is led by the oldest female. The herd consists of relatives. An individual reaches sexual maturity at 9-15 years. The gestation period is 18-22 months and they give birth to 1 calf and rarely twins. The calf weighs about 220 lb, (100 kg) and they are suckled for up to 2-3 years. Females stay on with the herd, but males are chased away.

[edit] Male behaviour

Bull elephants are usually solitary and they fight over females during the breeding season. Younger bulls may form small groups. Males reach sexual maturity during their 15th year, after which they annually enter "musth". This is a period where the testosterone level is high (up to 60 times greater) and they become extremely aggressive. Secretions containing pheromones occur during this period, from the temporal glands on the forehead.

[edit] Danger of elephants

Image:Anakotta1.jpg
Image:Srilanka elephant transport.jpg

An animal of this size is potentially dangerous. Care should be taken when walking or driving at night or in the late evening in areas where wild elephants roam. Particularly, potential meetings with unpredictable adult males, or females with nearby young, are best avoided. The most dangerous are aggressive, so-called rogue elephants which are usually young solitary bulls.

[edit] In history and religion

Image:Corrbet-Amir.JPG The elephant plays an important part in the culture of the subcontinent and beyond featuring prominently in Jataka tales and the Panchatantra. It is also quite venerated and the "blessings" of a temple elephant is sought by Hindus as Lord Ganesha's head is made up of an elephant. It has been used in majestic processions in Kerala where the pachyderms are adorned with festive outfits. They were used by almost all armies in India as war elephants, terrifying opponents unused to the massive beast.

[edit] In western literature

The Asian elephant figures prominently in The Jungle Book and other writings of Rudyard Kipling, a British writer born in India.

[edit] Subspecies

Elephas maximus is the only surviving species in the Elephas genus; Elephas recki, an even larger species, is extinct.

There are four subspecies of Asian elephant:

The population in Vietnam and Laos is currently undergoing tests to determine if it is a fifth subspecies.

E. m. indicus survives in separate ranges in southern India, the Himalayan foothills, and northwest India; it is also found in southern China, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and the Malaysian peninsula. Most males of this subspecies have tusks.
E. m. maximus is only found in Sri Lanka. It has a larger skull relative to body size, and commonly has a decolourised area of skin on the forehead and the front of the upper trunk. It is rare to find even males with tusks. Males can reach a height of 3.5 metres at the shoulder.
E. m. sumatrensis is only found in Sumatra. It is the second smallest subspecies, between 1.7 to 2.6 metres at the shoulder. It is sometimes called the pocket elephant because of its size.
E. m. borneensis is found in north Borneo (east Sabah and extreme north Kalimantan). It is smaller than all the other subspecies. It has larger ears, a longer tail, and straighter tusks. Genetic tests found that its ancestors separated from the mainland population about 300,000 years ago.<ref name=Fernando>Fernando P, Vidya TNC, Payne J, Stuewe M, Davison G, et al. (2003) DNA Analysis Indicates That Asian Elephants Are Native to Borneo and Are Therefore a High Priority for Conservation. PLoS Biol 1(1): e6 Full text</ref>

The extinct Chinese population is sometimes separated as E. m. rubridens (Pink-tusked Elephant); it disappeared after the 14th century BC. The Syrian population, a separate subspecies, largest subspecies of Asian Elephant (E.m.asurus), disappeared around 100 BC.

[edit] Trend of extinction

It is estimated that by the early 2050s there will no longer be a viable population of Asian Elephants. (National Geographic February 2006).

[edit] References

<references/>

  • Ranjith Bandara and Clem Tisdell (2004), "The net benefit of saving the Asian elephant a policy and contingent valuation study", Ecological Economics, 48(1) - in Sri Lanka, urban residents' willingness to pay to save the elephant exceeds crop damage by elephants.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Image:Commons-logo.svg
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

da:Asiatisk elefant de:Asiatischer Elefant es:Elephas maximus eo:Azia elefanto it:Elephas maximus he:פיל אסייתי lt:Azijinis dramblys nl:Aziatische olifant pl:Słoń indyjski pt:Elefante-indiano ru:Индийский слон sk:Slon ázijský indický sl:Azijski slon fi:Aasiannorsu sv:Asiatisk elefant th:ช้างเอเชีย vi:Voi châu Á zh:亚洲象

Retrieved from "http://en.wikivisual.com/index.php/Asian_Elephant"
Personal tools