Asian Elephant
Elephas maximus
The Asian elephant has thick, gray skin sparsely covered with coarse hairs. The trunk of the Asian elephant has two outgrowths at its tip to making it possible for the animal to perform both delicate and powerful tasks. Male Asian elephants have long tusks, females have either very small tusks or none at all. They have smaller, rounder ears than their relatives the African Elephant.
Size
Adult Asian elephants can stand from seven to twelve feet tall, they can weigh up to an amazing 11,000 pounds.
Population
An estimated 30,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild.
Life span
Asian elephants can live to approximately 60-80 years old.
Range
Parts of Southeast and South-central Asia
Habitat
An Asian elephant's habitat can vary. They can live in jungles, and grasslands preferring areas combining grass and forest.
Food
Asian elephants have a vegetarian diet including bark, grasses, leaves and roots. They can eat about 220 to 440 pounds of food a day. They drink up to 30 gallons water a day so are never far from a water source.
Behavior
Asian Elephants live in groups called herds. This close social group is usually made up of females and offspring. The heard is led by the oldest and most experienced female. Adult males are not often associated with a herd. They will visit the heard during breeding times.
Offspring
After an almost two year gestation period, a single calf is born (twins are very rare). Calves weigh between 200 to 250 pounds when they are born. |
