Asiatic Elephant

Elephas Maximus

The elephant is the largest of the land mammals. There are 2 species of Elephants in existence - The Indian & African. These are the sole survivors of the a great assemblage of species which once inhabited the earth. Asian elephants are distinguished from the African ones by their smaller size, smaller ears, more rounded back, and fourth toenail on each of their hind feet. They have thick, dry skin with a small amount of stiff hair, and are grey to brown in colour, only the male Asiatic Elephants have large tusks, the female Asiatic Elephant's being much smaller pproximately 10 cms. and referred to as tusks. The tusks are elongated upper incisor teeth. They appear when the elephant is about 2-3 years of age. Tusks are very useful instruments. They are used to dig for water, salt and roots, to strip the bark, fell or mark trees, for work (as in Asiatic Elephants), as a weapon of offense and defense, and as a trunk protector and rester. Height of an elephant can be 3 metres or more. It weighs 4-5 tons.

Elephants are very sociable animals and march from forest to forest, seldom staying in one for more than a few days. However, few males in their youth prefer to lead a solitary life. When on the move, the females lead the herd, with the tuskers lagging behind, unless alerted to some approaching danger. The elephant is purely vegetarian and subsists on a wide variety of woody plants, palms, bamboo and other grasses. An adult requires about 270 Kgs. of such food daily. Males mate with any females that are in oestrus (fertile). Gestation period of elephant is about 21 months, which is one of the longest for any mammal. Young elephants and their mothers have a very close relationship, with weaning occurring at approximately 4 years of age. Elephants become mature between 11-20 years of age.

Elephants are listed under endangered, and have almost vanished from most of China and Southwest Asia. As the human population increases, the elephants' natural habitat is destroyed and they are forced to live on the farming areas, where they cause damage to crops. According to a recent wildlife survey, only less than 40,000 of these remain in the whole world. The total population available in India is around 15,000. In India the major regions where elephants are found include the forests of Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, and Assam. A typical elephant herd consists of forty elephants, which include five male tuskers and quite a few young calves.