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Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.
Taxonomy | Physical Characteristics |
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Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Subfamily: Elephantinae Subtribe: Elephantina Genus: Elephas Species: Elephas maximus Subspecies: E.m. maximus, E.m. indicus, |
Body Weight: Shoulder Height: Trunk: One "finger" at the end Tusks: Females tuskless; percentages of tuskless males in populations vary widely (0 to 100%) |
Distribution & Status | Behavior & Ecology |
Range: Indian subcontinent, Continental Southeast Asia, and Asian islands Habitat: Tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests & dry broadleaf & dry scrub forests IUCN Status: Endangered (2008 assessment) (Choudhury et al. 2008) CITES Appendix: Appendix I (UNEP 2019) Population in Wild: approximately 46,000 individuals. |
Activity Cycle: Diurnal and nocturnal; feeding & traveling to food 70-90% of the time Social Groups: Matriarchal herds of 8-12; males solitary Diet: Herbivorous Predators: Humans |
Reproduction & Development | Species Highlights |
Age of Sexual Maturity: Gestation: 22 months Litter Size: Usually 1; twins possible Birth weight: 75-115 kg (165-254 lbs) Age at Weaning: 18 mo.-3+ years. Typical Life Expectancy: |
Feature Facts:
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© 2008-2019 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Global population estimate updated Nov 2018. Other minor updates 2019.
How to cite: Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) Fact Sheet. c2008-2019. San Diego (CA): San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; [accessed YYYY Mmm dd]. http://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/ asianelephant.
(Note: replace YYYY Mmm dd with date accessed, e.g., 2015 Jan 15)
Disclaimer: Although San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance makes every attempt to provide accurate information, some of the facts provided may become outdated or replaced by new research findings. Questions and comments may be addressed to library@sdzwa.org.