#The Elephant was Arrested for Life - Sri Lanka-Wild Life-Animal-Elephant-Animal cruelty-No Humanity
Channel: mlolp
Date: 09/05/2022

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Sri Lankan elephant
The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is
native to Sri Lanka and one of three recognised subspecies of the
Asian elephant. It is the type subspecies of the Asian elephant
and was first described by Carl Linnaeus under the binominal
Elephas maximus in 1758.[1] The Sri Lankan elephant
population is now largely restricted to the dry zone in the north,
east and southeast of Sri Lanka. Elephants are present in
Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, Lunugamvehera
National Park, Wilpattu National Park and Minneriya National
Park but also live outside protected areas. It is estimated that Sri
Lanka has the highest density of elephants in Asia. Humanelephant conflict is increasing due to conversion of elephant
habitat to settlements and permanent cultivation.[2]
Characteristics
Distribution and habitat
Former range
Population trend
Ecology and behaviour
Threats
Conservation
Cultural and symbolism
Captive elephants
See also
References
External links
In general, Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants
and have the highest body point on the head. The tip of their
trunk has one finger-like process. Their back is convex or level.
Females are usually smaller than males. Some males have
tusks.
[3]
Contents
Characteristics
Linnaeus, 1758
Range of the Sri Lankan elephant
head of a male without tusks
A herd of elephants in Yala National
Park
Sri Lankan elephants are the largest subspecies reaching a
shoulder height of between 2 and 3.5 m (6.6 and 11.5 ft), weigh
between 2,000 and 5,500 kg (4,400 and 12,100 lb), and have 19
pairs of ribs. Their skin colour is darker than of indicus and of
sumatranus with larger and more distinct patches of
depigmentation on ears, face, trunk and belly.
[4] Only 7% of
males bear tusks. Average adult elephant tusks grow up to about
6 feet. It can weight up to 35 kg (77 lb).
[5] Longest tusks of 7
feet 6 inches long was found in Millangoda Raja (1938-30 July
2011).
[6][7]
The Sri Lankan subspecies designation is weakly supported by
analysis of allozyme loci,
[8] but not by analysis of mitochondrial
DNA (mtDNA) sequences.
[9][10][11]
In July 2013, a dwarf Sri Lankan elephant was sighted in
Udawalawe National Park. It was over 1.5 m (5 ft) tall but had
shorter legs than usual and was the main aggressor in an
encounter with a younger bull.
[12]
Sri Lankan elephants are restricted mostly to the lowlands in the
dry zone where they are still fairly widespread in north, south, east,
north-western, north-central and south-eastern Sri Lanka. A small
remnant population exists in the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary. They
are absent from the wet zone of the country. Apart from Wilpattu
and Ruhuna National Parks, all other protected areas are less than
1,000 km2
(390 sq mi) in extent. Many areas are less than 50 km2
(19 sq mi), and hence not large enough to encompass the entire
home ranges of elephants that use them. In the Mahaweli
Development Area, protected areas such as Wasgomuwa National
Park, Flood Plains National Park, Somawathiya National Park, and
Trikonamadu Nature Reserve have been linked resulting in an
overall area of 1,172 km2
(453 sq mi) of contiguous habitat for
elephants. Nevertheless, about 65% of the elephant's range extends
outside protected areas.