Asian Elephants
Habitat and Distribution: Found in large areas of forests and grassy plains in India, Indochina, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and southern China.Size: 8–11 feet at the shoulder; 5,000–11,000 pounds
Wild Diet: Grasses, bamboo, small trees, bark, shrubs, and fruit
Predators: Humans, some calves become prey to tigers
Lifespan: 30–50 years in the wild; 40–60 years in zoos
Reproduction: Females are mature at 10–17 years, males at 10–15 years. The gestation period is 20–22 months, after which one calf is born (twins are rare). A calf weighs about 200 pounds at birth, can stand within a half an hour, and will nurse for 2–3 years.
Behavior: As with African elephants, Asian elephant herds are made up of a matriarchal society, meaning there is one female elephant in charge and the other females have different ranks within the herd. Males leave their herd at 10–15 years of age, and generally roam alone or in small bachelor groups. Between the ages of 15–18, the growth of the elephant slows or stops, except in males, who will have another growth spurt between 20–30 years old. Asian elephants generally travel about 20 miles a day in search of food and water, which means they require a great deal of land in the wild. They make a variety of sounds, including trumpets, roars, purrs, rumbles, and squeaks. Some of these low-frequency sounds can travel for miles.Conservation
Status: Endangered
Asian elephants are quickly losing their wild habitat due to human expansion. Across much of the Asian elephants’ range, their habitats are being transformed into farmland and villages. In many cases the elephants are being used to haul trees and clear the forests they once ran wild in. Adding to the problem is the increasing human demand for forest products such as coffee, tea, rubber, and hardwoods. Elephants still face being hunted when humans feel they threaten their crops or are too close to their homes.
Asian elephants are quickly losing their wild habitat due to human expansion. Across much of the Asian elephants’ range, their habitats are being transformed into farmland and villages. In many cases the elephants are being used to haul trees and clear the forests they once ran wild in. Adding to the problem is the increasing human demand for forest products such as coffee, tea, rubber, and hardwoods. Elephants still face being hunted when humans feel they threaten their crops or are too close to their homes.
Interesting Facts
Elephants can eat around 300 pounds of food per day. They use their trunks to get food to their mouths since they cannot bend down to the ground to graze. Only male Asian elephants grow long tusks and not every male grows them. Due to hunting for ivory, very few males with long tusks now exist. Males that naturally do not grow long tusks have been left to create offspring that also do not grow long tusks.