Asian elephant

(Elephas maximus)

Species, also called Asiatic elephant, belonging to the family of elephants, named by Carl Linnaeus, 1758.

Caracteristics of the asian elephant

• The neck is low, and then curving up
• The skin is less wrenkled
• Ears are small, looks like indian continent
• Head has two bumps
• Forehead is protruding
• The underlip is long, narrow and pointed
• Only abt 50% of bulls wear long tusks
• Females wear tushes or nothing
• 19 pairs of ribs (Sumatran subspecies 20)
• The frontfeet has five nails, the hindfeet four
      (like the african forest elephant)
• The trunktip has one prehensile protrusion

Compare with the african bush elephant!

Taxonomy and distrubition

Asian elephant is a species belonging to the family of elephants (Elephantidae), which is included in the mammal order Proboscidea. It was formerly called Indian elephant, which is a confusing name, since Asian elephants occur in 13 asian countries, from west India , to southern China, and in southeast from the malay peninsula to the islands Sumatra and Borneo, why "Indian" is unappropiate, and the name "Indian elephant" should be used only for the Indian subspecies.

So when speaking about the species (Elephas maximus), this species should be refered to as Asian elephant.

Population

Asian elephant was once distributed from Tigris and Euphrates Valleys of Syria and Iraq to the yellow river of China and South to Sumatra (Daniel, 1995).

Since the Asian elephant live in dense forest and djungles, is it much more difficult to estimate the present individual population number, but it is likely about 40 000 Asian elephants on earth. Of those, some 15-20 000 are kept in captivity. Europe has some 700 Asian elephants, and about the same amount is to be found in north american continent, the rest (apr. 13 500) are tame elephants in Asia.

Link: US: House Votes to Protect Elephants (H.R. 700 Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act (Concur in Senate Amendment))

Asian elephant Nika in Skansen Zoo, Stckholm, Sweden, 1989.

Recognized subspecies:

• Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis)
• Borneo elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis)
• Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus)
• Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus)

Recommended literature:
The Asian Elephant: An Action Plan for Its Conservation by Charles Santiapillai, Peter Jackson, Iucn, Ssc Asian Elephant Specialist Group.

 

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