Asian Elephant

## Description

The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus ), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south, and to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognised—E. m. maximus from Sri Lanka, E. m. indicus from mainland Asia and E. m. sumatranus from the island of Sumatra. It is one of only three living species of elephants or elephantids anywhere in the world, the others being the African bush elephant and African forest elephant.

The Asian elephant is the largest living land animal in Asia. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the last three elephant generations, which is about 60–75 years. It is primarily threatened by loss of habitat, habitat degradation, fragmentation and poaching. In 2019, the wild population was estimated at 48,323-51,680 individuals. Female captive elephants have lived beyond 60 years when kept in semi-natural surroundings, such as forest camps. In zoos, Asian elephants die at a much younger age; captive populations are declining due to a low birth and high death rate.

The genus *Elephas* originated in Sub-Saharan Africa during the Pliocene and spread throughout Africa before expanding into the southern half of Asia. The earliest indications of captive use of Asian elephants are engravings on seals of the Indus Valley civilisation dated to the 3rd millennium BC.

## Appearance

Asian elephants are largest terrestrial mammals of the continent while being smaller than African elephants. Another difference between those two related species is the “finger”: Asian elephants have one “finger” on their upper lips while their African relatives possess two “fingers”, the second one on their lower lips. Skin color of Asian elephant varies from brown to gray. The elephant also has observable pink-colored spots on its ears, forehead, trunk and chest. Females of Asian elephant are identified by comparably smaller tusks.

## Distribution

Asian elephant lives over the vast territory, covering Hindustan and Indochina peninsulas, Borneo Island and, generally, most of south-eastern Asia. Their habitat includes plains, tropical forests, evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, wet and dry deciduous forests, prickly forests as well as cultivating lands.

## Behavior

These elephants are very communicative mammals. As a general rule, they live in herds, consisting of more than 20 females. The oldest female leads the group in its movement routes, searching for food and water source. Sometimes herds can break up into smaller subgroups. Male elephants, on the contrary, lead solitary life. From time to time, though, they send and receive messages from the herds over huge distances by means of high frequencies sounds, imperceptible to the human ear. Asian elephants are not at all territorial. These animals are diurnal and crepuscular. They eat and walk at dusk and down while being absolutely passive the daytime heat. Reliable source of drinking water is a mandatory life condition for elephant, since they drink no less than once a day.

## Diet

Asian elephants are herbivores (folivores), feeding upon plants. Major components of their usual diet are grasses, leaves, roots, bark of trees and bushes.

## Reproduction

They are polygynous, meaning that a male can mate with multiple females. Before mating, males conduct fights to reveal the dominant male (the one that will mate the group of females). Asian elephants mate all year-round, without reference to a season of year. Under favorable conditions, a female can give birth once every 3-4 years. Gestation period lasts quite long, 18-22 months, after which a single baby is born. The baby feeds on breast milk of its mother as well as other lactating females if necessary. A few months later young add grass to its daily diet meanwhile continuing to eat breast milk for up to 1.5 year. Even after weaning, the mother keeps on caring for and protecting the young. Sexual maturity is reached at the age of around 14 years. However, it’s not so easy for males: they are allowed to mate only when they are able to dominate other males in the area.

## Population

### Population threats

Asian elephant is also included in Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Threats have to do mainly with human activity. Since ancient times, these animals have been hunted and killed in large numbers, as a source of food, and then for ivory. Hunting for ivory continues to this day, being a notable threat to overall population of Asian elephant. Deforestation and agricultural activities are among threats, leading to constriction of the elephants’ habitat.

### Population number

IUCN says official estimated population number of Asian elephant is currently 41.410-52.345 individuals. If listed by countries, on the first place is India with 26.390-30.770 individuals around the country. Then comes Myanmar (4000-5000) and Sri-Lanka (2500-4000). Other countries with comparably large population of Asian elephants are: Indonesia (2400-3400), Thailand (2500-3200), Malaysia (2100-3100), Laos (500-1000), Cambodia (250-600), Bhutan (250-500), China (200-250), Bangladesh (150-250), Vietnam (70-150) and Nepal (100-125). About 13.000 individuals of Asian elephant are domesticated, working mainly in entertainment area. The ICUN classifies the Asian elephant as Endangered with a decreasing population trend.

### Ecological niche

Asian elephant has huge impact on the ecosystem of its habitat. They turn some areas of forests into meadows and disperse seeds. Moreover, cases have been known, when elephants excavated holes in dry riverbeds to get water for other species. As the elephants walk through forests, they open broad pathways, which stop the spread of forest fire.

## Domestication

The oldest extant evidence of Asian elephants’ domestication comes from the Bronze Age, from the era of Harappan civilization. Evidently, the elephants were at the time used as fighting machine, being invaluable components of siege conduction. They served as beasts of burden and as elevation at battlefields and at hunting. These animals have been captured from the wild and tamed for human usage. Due to their huge size and ability of obeying orders, they proved to be indispensable in transportation of heavy objects such as timber materials. Along with the above mentioned, Asian elephants have been object of decoration at official ceremonies for swell society. Nowadays Asian elephants are used mainly in touristic industry, transferring and entertaining tourists.

## Fun Facts for Kids

Not only is the mother responsible for care and protection of a baby-elephant, but so are other females in the herd called aunties.

Elephants can sing! They use extremely low, ultrasound frequencies not perceptible for human ears. They sing when they want to keep the heard together and looking for mates.

The elephants spend most of the day (16 hours) eating. In addition, an average elephant drinks up to 40-50 gallons of water per day.

Duration of their sleep is only 2 hours a day.

They are fond of bananas! Moreover, before eating, they rind bananas as well as corns and other food.

Water is an important component of elephants’ lives. They not only drink water: they swim, play in it and pour it on each other.

Unlike most of animals, elephant uses its trunks to drink water. Elephant sucks it up into its trunk and squirt it into its mouth.