The hair is scant. The skin is from dark gray to brown, though true coloration is often hidden by dirt and mud. The trunk is around 1.5 to 2 meters in length. The ears are large, but not as large as those of the African elephant. Males have long tusks that curve upwards.
Females have very small tusks, if any.
They live from the Middle East through southern Asia. It is found in habitats ranging from thick jungles to grassy plains. They eat a wide variety of grasses, as well as bark, roots, leaves, small stems, vines, and shrubs. They use their trunks, muscular extensions of the nose and upper lip, to grasp grasses and other food. Males are usually solitary and non territorial, occasionally forming small groups.