| Biomes Tropical savanna, tropical rainforest, tropical deciduous forest, mountains (Himalayas) |
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| Habitat Asian elephants live in many different habitats including open grasslands, marshes, savannas and forests. |
| Range Asian elephants live in fragmented forests in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic), Vietnam, China (extinct in wild), Malaysia, Indonesia, and Borneo, Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam. |
| Reproduction Males are highly individualistic and only join the herd for mating seasons. Their penis is retractable. There is no scrotum and the testicles are housed internally. Males duel each other with the winner claiming steed rights for the whole herd. Deaths sometimes occur from wounds inflicted in these duels. The female runs away coyly for a short while, as part of a ritual, before submitting to her victorious mate. The bull then mounts the female from behind gripping her body with his fore feet upon her pelvis and assumes a standing posture. Copulation takes around 20 seconds with very little movement or noise. Mating continues promiscuously--with other herd males for two days after which the most powerful bull drives off the others. He then remains with the cow for around three weeks. The female, when pregnant, carries the calf for 22 months. When parturition (birth) occurs other herd cows form a circle around the pregnant cow. She assumes a squatting position while giving birth. The birth takes around 2 hours. In regions where large carnivores, such as big cats, prey upon newly born animals, the mother forms alliances with other herd members. Mother and associated protectors then blow dust over the new-born calf with their trunks in order to dry it. Just two hours after birth the calf can stand up and begins to suckle the mother. |
| Trunk Arguably the most versatile of all animal organs. The trunk can be used for such diverse tasks as shifting a 600 kg log to picking up a coin. It is a boneless mass of flesh and up to 100,000 muscles that can bend easily. It is 2 metres long and weighs around 140 kg. The trunk has a small finger like lip at the end which can distinguish between size, shape, texture, hot and cold. The animal uses its trunk to feed and drink by bringing food and water to the mouth, breathe, make noises, caress it's young and sometimes even fight. Asian elephants have an acute deftness of balance achieved by high tactile sense. The trunk, an incredibly versatile organ, contributes greatly to this ability. When totally submerged in water the trunk can also be used as a snorkel. Trunks can hold six litres of water and are often used as a flexible shower hose pipe. It is a superb organ of smell, and can be directed easily toward the source. By beating the ground violently with the trunk the elephant signals its anger or displeasure. When an elephant is on unsteady or unfamiliar ground it will use the outside of the trunk to beat the earth, determining if the ground is firm enough to walk on. Once safety is assured, the front foot is moved forward onto the tested area. The rear foot follows and is carefully placed in exactly the same footprint. |
| Eye/Sight Asian elephants have poor vision. They are capable of seeing clearly only at very short distances up to about 10 metres. |
| Ears/Hearing Elephants have excellent hearing quite superior to human standards. Their large ears act as amplifiers and warn of possible dangers. |
| Noise/Smell The Asian elephant has a highly developed sense of smell thought to be superior to that of any other land mammal. |
| Tongue/Taste The sense of taste is comparable to all higher animals. It can easily distinguish between unsuitable, suitable and favoured fodder. |
| Name for the Asian elephant in other languages Finnish - Elefatti, Norsu French - Eléphant d'Asie, Eléphant d'Inde Spanish - Elefante asiático |
| COUNTRY | MINIMUM NUMBERS | MAXIMUM NUMBERS | |||||||||
| Bangladesh | 200 | 350 | |||||||||
| Bhutan | 60 | 150 | |||||||||
| Burma | 3,000 | 10,000 | |||||||||
| Cambodia | 2,000 | 2,000 | |||||||||
| China | 150 | 300 | |||||||||
| India | 17,310 | 22,120 | |||||||||
| Indonesia (Kalimantan) | 100 | 500 | |||||||||
| Sumatra (Indonesia) | 2,800 | 5,000 | |||||||||
| Laos | 2,000 | 3,000 | |||||||||
| Malaysian Penisular | 800 | 1,000 | |||||||||
| Sabah (Malaysia) | 500 | 2,000 | |||||||||
| Nepal | 50 | 90 | |||||||||
| Sri Lanka | 2,700 | 3,200 | |||||||||
| Thailand | 1,300 | 2,000 | |||||||||
| Vietnam | 1,500 | 2,000 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 34,470 | 53,710 |
