The largest modern land animal of the Asian continent.
Taxonomy
Russian name - Asian (or Indian) elephant
English name-Indian elephant
Latin name - Elephas maximus
Order - Proboscidea
Family - Elephantidae
The closest relative of the Asian elephant is the African elephant. These two species of powerful animals seem similar, but the differences are so significant that zoologists classify them as different genera.
Status of the species in nature
Wild Asian elephants are currently endangered.
Elephants and man
The history of close interaction between elephants and people goes back thousands of years and is full of contradictions. Elephants are both idolized and feared: they are the personification of strength and power. Elephants participate in temple ceremonies, and very nearby they are killed for their ivory (tusks). Domestic elephants are used in logging and agriculture, and their wild counterparts often destroy crops. An army armed with elephants was previously invincible, and even now, despite the powerful modern technology, elephants are the most mobile transport in the jungle.
The enormous demand for tusks over the past 150 years has led to a catastrophic decline in elephant numbers. In addition, at present, in most of the range, people actively compete with elephants for living space, and it is this circumstance that poses the greatest threat to elephants.
Total information
Distribution area and habitats
The current distribution area of the Asian elephant is the Hindustan Peninsula, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, Thailand and the islands South-East Asia. Back in the 16th–17th centuries. it was found in Central India, Gujarat and the island of Kalimantan, where there are now no wild elephants.
The Asian elephant is much more of a forest dweller than the African elephant. However, it prefers light forests with a dense undergrowth of shrubs and especially bamboo. In summer, elephants climb quite high into the mountains along wooded slopes, and in the Himalayas they are found near the border of eternal snow.
Appearance and morphology
The elephant cannot be confused with any other animal - a gray, powerful giant with huge ears and a trunk - an amazing organ that has no analogues in the animal world.
The elephant's large ears act as radiators, preventing overheating. Observations show that at low ambient temperatures, the blood vessels with which the ears are abundantly supplied are invisible, but when the temperature rises, they expand and protrude underneath. IN hot weather elephants spread their ears or flap them, creating additional air movement.
The structure of an elephant's foot is remarkable: on the sole, under the skin, there is a special jelly-like springy mass, thanks to which the elephant's tread is completely silent. In addition, when an elephant leans on its leg, under its weight the sole expands, the supporting surface increases. But as soon as he unloads his leg, it takes on its original shape. Therefore, the elephant easily overcomes swampy swamps and does not get stuck, even plunging into the quagmire up to its belly.
The elephant's dental system is very unique. A single pair of incisors is found only in upper jaw, these teeth grew and turned into tusks. There are no fangs at all, and the molars fall out as they wear out, being replaced by growing new teeth. There is only one molar functioning in each half of the jaw at a time, which can be replaced up to six times during the life of an elephant.
The most striking differences between the elephants of Asia and Africa:
| Asian elephant | African elephant |
| Height 2.5-3m; weight 2.7-5.5 t | Larger, height 2.7-4 m; weight 3-7 t |
| Ears are small | The ears are significantly larger than those of the Asian elephant |
| Convex back | Concave back |
| Only males have tusks | Both males and females have tusks |
| At the end of the trunk there is 1 finger-like process | At the end of the trunk there are 2 finger-like processes |
| There are 5 fingers on the forelimbs, 4 on the hind limbs | There are 5 fingers on the forelimbs, 3 on the hind limbs |
| 20 pairs of ribs | 21 pairs of ribs |
Lifestyle and social behavior
Much of the information about the lifestyle and distribution of elephants has been obtained through radio tracking.
Elephants live social groups with a complex structure. Females form family groups consisting of closely related female elephants and their immature offspring. Upon reaching sexual maturity, the young female remains in the group. As the group increases, smaller associations of young females are formed within it, which can subsequently separate. The family group is led by the oldest female, or matriarch, who is often past reproductive age. Observations have shown that the most stable groups are those consisting of 2-3 adult females and their elephant calves. Larger associations exist only for a short time.
Social bonds between elephants are very strong. If one of the group members is injured, others come to the rescue: they help to get to their feet and leave, supporting them on both sides.
Unlike their sisters, young males leave the family group at the age of 7–8 years. They unite in small groups of non-permanent composition. Adult males often stay solitary.
The territories used by elephants have a surprisingly complex structure. Inside there are many areas connected by long corridors, as well as areas where elephants never enter. According to radio tracking data, groups of female Indian elephants occupy areas of 180–600 square meters. km, males - 160–400 sq. km.
Daily movements vary markedly among different elephants. On average, they walk 7–8 km daily. If elephants dare to enter a dangerous area, such as agricultural land, they do so mainly at night. Permanent routes form wide elephant trails, which exist even in the densest jungles and are used by many species of animals and humans.
Vocalization
The most common sound made by elephants is a grunt. This sound can be heard up to 1 km away and can be a warning or used to maintain contact between animals. If the area where elephants feed is open and the animals see each other, they make sounds much less often. When elephants are excited, they trumpet.
Gray giants can communicate over considerable distances using sounds that contain an infrasound component. A person standing next to a screaming elephant feels a soft “rumbling”, but after moving a few meters away, he will no longer feel anything, while other elephants will hear the sound perfectly. On quiet nights, such sounds can spread over an area of up to 300 square meters. km.
Nutrition and feeding behavior
Elephants spend three-quarters of their time searching for food. Asian elephants have a very diverse diet and include about 100 species of plants, but more than 85% of its volume comes from 10–15 favorite types of food.
These huge herbivores with an intense metabolism need a lot of food: in the dry season, an adult elephant eats 100–150 kg per day, in the wet season - from 200 to 280 kg.
In the wet season, elephants eat more grass than the less nutritious woody matter of trees and shrubs; in the dry season, the opposite is true. They regularly eat soil rich in essential mineral salts (iron, bicarbonate). An elephant needs about 180 liters of water per day. They usually quench their thirst once a day and do not pay much attention to the quality of the water. When their food is rich in liquid, animals are able to go without water for several days. In some arid areas, elephants dig up dry stream beds until they reach the level groundwater. After the elephants leave, small wells remain that serve as watering holes for other animals.
Reproduction and development
Reproduction of the Asian elephant can occur in different seasons of the year. The rut in males begins in accordance with the individual rhythm of each individual. Upon reaching 20 years of age, male elephants periodically enter a physiological state called must. The level of the sex hormone - testosterone - increases in the blood 20 times, the elephant becomes very excited, and a black secretion begins to be released from the skin gland located between the eye and ear. The male's excited state lasts about three weeks. One should be wary of an elephant during the musta period; it can even attack a person. Such elephants actively seek out receptive females, moving from one group to another.
Elephant calves are born to one female every 4 or 5 years.
There are very few observations of elephant births. The birth occurs at night, is completed very quickly, and the observer must be very lucky to be in the right place in right moment. After 22 months of pregnancy, the female elephant gives birth to one small elephant weighing from 90 to 115 kg. The event usually takes place within the herd, and soon all members of the herd approach him to greet him with a touch of their trunk. Often a young female helps a woman in labor care for the baby, gaining experience for future motherhood. The mother helps him disentangle himself from the birth membranes and find the nipples, which are located on her chest. Babies suck with their mouths, not their trunks. They also drink water with their mouth, and begin to use their trunk only at the age of 5–6 months. Milk feeding continues for 2-3 years, but from the age of 3 weeks the baby elephant begins to eat plant foods, which the female and other adult family members grind and then feed directly to the baby’s mouth.
Elephant calves develop quickly. From birth to 4 years, they grow quite evenly, gaining weight from 9 to 20 kg every month. At about 4 years of age, a sharp difference between males and females begins to appear. Having reached sexual maturity (at 10–12 years), females continue to grow, but slowly; males grow much faster. Because elephants continue to grow throughout their lives, the largest animals are also the oldest, and by the age of 60, the difference in weight between males and females can be about two tons.
Lifespan
Elephants live long, up to 70–80 years.
Asian elephants at the Moscow Zoo
Asian elephants have been kept in our zoo for a long time - the first giant appeared in 1898. The elephants now living with us ended up in the Moscow Zoo in 1985.
The story began with Vietnam giving Cuba four elephants. They safely crossed two oceans, but when the ship with animals approached the island, it turned out that the elephants were vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease, and this disease had never existed in Cuba. Fearing infection, the authorities categorically refused the gift. By that time, the elephants had been at sea for several months, and it was urgent to decide what to do with them. The Moscow Zoo agreed to accept the animals, and the ship headed for Leningrad. Winter came. One female died on the way, the second did not get up, and the male and third female were extremely exhausted. Fortunately, the transport was sent without delay, and three elephants survived and recovered.
In 1995, one of the females, Pipita, gave birth to the third elephant calf in the history of our zoo, which now lives in the Yerevan Zoo.
For elephants, during the reconstruction of the zoo, a new elephant barn was built by 2004, which was located on the old territory near the “Bird House”. In 2009, Pipita gave birth to another baby elephant - Cyprida. She was surrounded by care and love from both her mother and aunt. Unfortunately, Prima died in 2014 - she had poor health since childhood. In May 2017, Pipita gave birth to her third baby elephant, Philemon.
Our elephants spend the summer in outdoor enclosures, and in the winter they can be seen inside the pavilion. Cyprida has almost caught up with her mother in size, Pipita still takes care of her. Everyone is feeling great. Considering that elephants are long-lived, Pamir and Pipita are in their prime - each is about 30 years old, and we hope that they will have more children.
Each elephant eats about 150 kg of food daily. They eat grass, or hay, potatoes, carrots, beets, bread, and always receive willow brooms. They love bananas and apples. In winter, elephants enjoy standing in the shower, which is arranged for them in the elephant colony, and in summer, in warm weather enjoy swimming in the pool. They sometimes like to play pranks with visitors: throw a lump of manure or spray water from their trunk.
Scientific classification.
Domain: eukaryotes
Kingdom: Animals
Subkingdom: eumetazoans
Type: chordates
Subphylum: vertebrates
Infratype: gnathostomes
Superclass: quadrupeds
Class: mammals
Subclass: animals
Infraclass: placental
Superorder: Afrotherium
Order: proboscis
Family: ivory
Genus: Asian elephants
Species: Asian (Indian) elephant
Currently, the range of Indian elephants is highly fragmented; in the wild they are found in the countries of the Indo-Malayan biogeographic region: South and North-East India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, South-West China, Malaysia (mainland and on the island of Borneo), Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra) and Brunei.
The body length of the Indian elephant is 5.5-6.4 m, the tail is 1.2-1.5 m. They reach a weight of 5.4 tons with a height of 2.5-3.5 meters. Females are smaller than males, weighing on average 2.7 tons.
The Indian elephant is primarily a forest dweller. He prefers light tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests with a dense undergrowth of shrubs and especially bamboo. Previously, in the cool season, elephants went out into the steppes, but now this has become possible only in nature reserves, since outside them the steppe has almost everywhere been turned into agricultural land. In summer, along wooded slopes, elephants climb quite high into the mountains, meeting in the Himalayas at the border of eternal snow, at an altitude of up to 3600 m. Elephants move quite easily through swampy terrain and climb into the mountains.
Like other large mammals, elephants tolerate cold better than heat. They spend the hottest part of the day in the shade, continuously flapping their ears to cool the body and improve heat exchange. They love to take baths, pouring water over themselves and rolling around in dirt and dust; these precautions protect the elephants' skin from drying out, sunburn and insect bites. For their size, elephants are surprisingly agile and agile; they have an excellent sense of balance. If necessary, they check the reliability and hardness of the soil under their feet with blows from their trunk, but thanks to the structure of their feet, they are able to move even through marshy areas. An alarmed elephant can reach speeds of up to 48 km/h; while running, the elephant raises its tail, signaling to its relatives about danger. Elephants are also good swimmers. The elephant spends most of its time searching for food, but the elephant needs at least 4 hours a day to sleep. They do not lie on the ground; the exception is sick elephants and young animals.
Elephants are distinguished by an acute sense of smell, hearing and touch, but their vision is weak - they see poorly at a distance of more than 10 m, somewhat better in shaded places. Elephants' hearing, due to their huge ears that serve as amplifiers, is far superior to humans. Elephants use numerous sounds, postures, and trunk gestures to communicate. Thus, a long trumpet call calls together the flock; a short, sharp, trumpet sound means fear; powerful blows on the ground with the trunk mean irritation and rage. Elephants have an extensive repertoire of calls, roars, grunts, squeals, etc., which signal danger, stress, aggression and greet each other.
Indian elephants are strict vegetarians and spend up to 20 hours a day foraging and feeding. Only during the hottest hours of the day do elephants seek shade to avoid overheating. The amount of food they eat daily ranges from 150 to 300 kg of various vegetation, or 6-8% of the elephant’s body weight. Elephants eat mainly grass; they also eat in some quantities the bark, roots and leaves of various plants, as well as flowers and fruits. Elephants tear off long grass, leaves and shoots with their flexible trunk; if the grass is short, they first loosen and dig up the soil with kicks. The bark from large branches is scraped off with molars, holding the branch with the trunk. Elephants willingly destroy agricultural crops, as a rule, plantings of rice, bananas and sugar cane, thus being the largest “pests” in size. Agriculture.
The digestive system of the Indian elephant is quite simple; a capacious cylindrical stomach allows you to “store” food while symbiont bacteria ferment it in the intestines. The total length of the small and large intestines of the Indian elephant reaches 35 m. The digestion process takes about 24 hours; at the same time, only 44-45% of the food is actually absorbed. An elephant requires at least 70-90 (up to 200) liters of water per day, so they never move away from water sources. Like African elephants, they often dig in the ground in search of salt.
Due to the large amount of food they consume, elephants rarely feed in the same place for more than 2-3 days in a row. They are not territorial, but stick to their feeding areas, which reach 15 km 2 for males and 30 km 2 for gregarious females, increasing in size during the dry season.
Indian elephants are social animals. Females always form family groups consisting of a matriarch (the most experienced female), her daughters, sisters and cubs, including immature males. Sometimes there is one old male next to the herd. In the 19th century elephant herds, as a rule, consisted of 30-50 individuals, although there were also herds of up to 100 or more heads. Currently, herds consist primarily of 2-10 females and their offspring. The herd may temporarily break up into smaller groups that maintain contact through characteristic vocalizations containing low-frequency components. Small groups (less than 3 adult females) have been found to be more stable than large ones. Several small herds can form the so-called. clan.
Males usually lead single image life; only young males who have not reached sexual maturity form temporary groups not associated with female groups. Adult males only approach the herd when one of the females is in estrus. At the same time, they arrange mating fights; Most of the time, however, males are quite tolerant of each other, and their feeding territories often overlap. By the age of 15-20 years, males usually reach sexual maturity, after which they annually enter a state known as must (Urdu for "intoxication"). This period is characterized by very high level testosterone and, as a result, aggressive behavior. During must, an odorous black secretion containing pheromones is released from a special skin gland located between the ear and eye. Males even produce copious amounts of urine. In this state they are very excited, dangerous and can even attack a person. The must lasts up to 60 days; all this time, the males practically stop feeding and wander around in search of females in heat. It is curious that in African elephants must is less pronounced and first appears at a later age (from 25 years of age).
Reproduction can occur at any time of the year, regardless of the season. Females are in estrus for only 2-4 days; A complete estrous cycle lasts about 4 months. Males join the herd after mating fights - as a result, only mature dominant males are allowed to breed. Fights sometimes lead to serious injuries to opponents and even death. The winning male drives away other males and remains with the female for about 3 weeks. In the absence of females, young male elephants often exhibit homosexual behavior.
Elephants have the longest pregnancy among mammals; it lasts from 18 to 21.5 months, although the fetus is fully developed by 19 months and then only increases in size. The female brings 1 (rarely 2) cub weighing about 90-100 kg and height (at the shoulders) about 1 m. It has tusks about 5 cm long, which fall out by the age of 2, when milk teeth are replaced by adult ones. During calving, the remaining females surround the woman in labor, forming a protective circle. Soon after giving birth, the female defecates so that the baby remembers the smell of her feces. The baby elephant stands on its feet 2 hours after birth and immediately begins to suckle milk; the female, using her trunk, “sprays” dust and earth onto it, drying the skin and masking its smell from large predators. After a few days, the cub is already able to follow the herd, holding onto the tail of its mother or older sister with its trunk. All lactating females in the herd are involved in feeding the baby elephant. Milk feeding continues until 18-24 months, although the baby elephant begins to eat plant foods after 6-7 months. Elephants also eat their mother's feces - with their help, not only undigested nutrients are transferred to them, but also symbiotic bacteria that help digest cellulose. Mothers continue to care for their offspring for several more years. Young elephants begin to separate from the family group by the age of 6-7 years and are finally expelled by 12-13 years.
In nature, Indian elephants live up to 60-70 years, in captivity - up to 80 years. Adult elephants have no natural enemies; elephant calves can be attacked by tigers.
You can use his ears. In the second, they are huge, like burdocks, and their highest point coincides with the top of the head, while the neat ears of the Indian elephant never rise above the neck.
Asian elephant
The Indian one is inferior to the African one in size and weight, gaining a little less than 5 and a half tons by the end of its life, while the savannah (African) one can tip the scales up to 7 tons.
The most vulnerable organ is the skin, which lacks sweat glands.. It is this that forces the animal to constantly perform mud and water treatments, protecting it from loss of moisture, burns and insect bites.
The thick, wrinkled skin (up to 2.5 cm thick) is covered with hair, which wears off with frequent scratching on trees: this is why elephants often look spotted.
Wrinkles on the skin are necessary to retain water - they prevent it from rolling off, preventing the elephant from overheating.
The thinnest epidermis is observed near the anus, mouth and inside the ears.
The usual color of the Indian elephant varies from dark gray to brown, but albinos (not white, but only slightly lighter than their herd brethren) are also found.
It has been noted that Elephas maximus (Asian elephant), whose body length ranges from 5.5 to 6.4 m, is more impressively built than the African elephant and has thicker, shorter legs.
Another difference from the savannah elephant is the highest point of the body: in the Asian elephant it is the forehead, in the former it is the shoulders.
Tusks and teeth
The tusks resemble giant horns originating from the mouth. In fact, these are the long upper incisors of males, growing up to 20 centimeters per year.
The tusk of the Indian elephant is less massive (2-3 times) than the tusk of its African relative, and weighs approximately 25 kg with a length of 160 cm. The working side of the elephant can be easily determined by the tusk, which is more worn and rounded on the right or left.
The tusks differ not only in size, but also in shape and direction of growth (not forward, but sideways).
Makhna is a special name coined for Asian elephants without tusks., which are found in abundance in Sri Lanka.
In addition to elongated incisors, the elephant is armed with 4 molars, each of which grows up to a quarter of a meter. They change as they wear down, with new ones cutting through rather than under the old teeth, pushing them forward.
The Asian elephant changes teeth 6 times during its life, and the last ones appear around the age of forty.
This is interesting! Teeth in natural environment habitats play a fatal role in the fate of the elephant: when the last molars wear out, the animal cannot chew tough vegetation and dies from exhaustion. In nature, this happens by the age of 70 elephant years.
Other organs and body parts
The huge heart (often with a double top) weighs approximately 30 kg, contracting at a frequency of 30 times per minute. 10% of body weight is blood.
The brain of one of the largest mammals on the planet is considered (quite naturally) the heaviest, stretching by 5 kg.
Females, unlike males, have two mammary glands.
An elephant needs ears not only to perceive sounds, but also to use them as a fan, fanning itself in the midday heat.
Most universal elephant organ - trunk, with the help of which animals perceive odors, breathe, douse themselves with water, feel and grasp various objects, including food.
The trunk, practically devoid of bones and cartilage, is formed by a fused upper lip and nose. The special mobility of the trunk is explained by the presence of 40,000 muscles (tendons and muscles). A single cartilage (separating the nostrils) can be found at the tip of the trunk.
By the way, the trunk ends with a very sensitive process that can detect a needle in a haystack.
And the trunk of the Indian elephant holds up to 6 liters of liquid. Having taken in the water, the animal puts its curled trunk into its mouth and blows so that the moisture enters the throat.
This is interesting! If they try to convince you that an elephant has 4 knees, don’t believe it: there are only two. The other pair of joints is not the knees, but the elbows.
Range and subspecies
Elephas maximus once lived in Southeast Asia from Mesopotamia to the Malay Peninsula, inhabiting (in the north) the foothills of the Himalayas, individual islands of Indonesia and the Yangtze Valley in China.
Over time, the habitat has undergone dramatic changes, acquiring a fragmented appearance. Currently, Asian elephants live in India (South and Northeast), Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Southwest China, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Brunei.
Biologists distinguish five modern subspecies of Elephas maximus:
- indicus (Indian elephant) - males of this subspecies retain their tusks. Animals are found in local areas of Southern and Northeastern India, the Himalayas, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Malay Peninsula;
- maximus (Sri Lankan elephant) - males usually lack tusks. A characteristic feature is a very large (against the background of the body) head with discolored spots at the base of the trunk and on the forehead. Found in Sri Lanka;
- a special subspecies of Elephas maximus, also found in Sri Lanka. The population is less than 100 elephants, which are taller than their peers. These giants, living in the forests of Northern Nepal, are 30 cm taller than standard Indian elephants;
- borneensis (Bornean elephant) is a small subspecies with the largest ears, straighter tusks and a long tail. These elephants can be found in the northeast of Borneo;
- sumatrensis (Sumatran elephant) - due to its compact size, it is also called the “pocket elephant”. Doesn't leave Sumatra.
Matriarchy and separation of the sexes
Relationships in an elephant herd are built on this principle: there is one, the most mature female, who leads her less experienced sisters, girlfriends, children, as well as males who have not reached puberty.
Mature elephants, as a rule, stay alone, and only older ones are allowed to accompany the group, controlled by the matriarch.
About 150 years ago, such herds consisted of 30, 50 and even 100 animals; nowadays, a herd includes from 2 to 10 mothers, burdened with their own cubs.
By the age of 10-12 years, female elephants reach puberty, but only at 16 years old can they bear offspring, and after another 4 years they are considered adults. Maximum fertility occurs between 25 and 45 years: during this time, the elephant gives birth to 4 litters, becoming pregnant on average every 4 years.
Grown-up males, who acquire the ability to fertilize, leave their native herd at the age of 10-17 years and wander alone until their matrimonial interests intersect.
The reason for the mating list between dominant males is the partner in estrus (2-4 days). In battle, opponents risk not only their health, but also their lives, as they are in a special inflated state called must (translated from Urdu as “intoxication”).
The winner drives away the weaklings and does not leave the chosen one for 3 weeks.
Must, during which testosterone goes off scale, lasts up to 2 months: elephants forget about food and are busy looking for females in estrus. Must is characterized by two types of discharge: copious urine and liquid with odorous pheromones, which is produced by the gland located between the eye and ear.
Drugged elephants are dangerous not only for their relatives. When “intoxicated,” they also attack people.
Offspring
The reproduction of Indian elephants does not depend on the season, although drought or forced crowding of a large number of animals can slow down the onset of estrus and even puberty.
The fetus stays in the mother's womb for up to 22 months, being fully formed by 19 months: in the remaining time it simply gains weight.
During childbirth, females cover the woman in labor by standing in a circle. A female elephant gives birth to one (rarely two) cub, one meter tall and weighing up to 100 kg. He already has elongated incisors that fall out when baby teeth are replaced with permanent ones.
A couple of hours after birth, the baby elephant is already on its feet and sucking its mother’s milk, and the mother powders the baby with dust and earth so that its delicate smell does not attract predators.
Several days will pass, and the newborn will wander along with everyone else, clinging to its mother’s tail with its proboscis.
The baby elephant is allowed to suck milk from all lactating elephants. The cub is separated from the breast at 1.5-2 years, completely transferred to a plant-based diet. Meanwhile, the baby elephant begins to dilute milk feeding with grass and leaves at six months of age.
After giving birth, the elephant defecates so that the newborn remembers the aroma of her feces. In the future, the baby elephant will eat them so that both undigested nutrients and symbiotic bacteria that promote the absorption of cellulose enter the body.
Lifestyle
Despite the fact that the Indian elephant is considered a forest dweller, it easily climbs mountains and overcomes wetlands (due to the special structure of its feet).
He loves the cold more than the heat, during which he prefers not to leave the shady corners, fanning himself with his huge ears. It is they, due to their size, that serve as a kind of sound amplifiers: that is why elephant hearing is more sensitive than human hearing.
This is interesting! By the way, the organ of hearing in these animals, along with the ears, is... the legs. It turned out that elephants send and receive seismic waves at a distance of 2 thousand meters.
Excellent hearing is supported by a keen sense of smell and touch. The elephant is let down only by his eyes, which do not clearly distinguish distant objects. He sees better in shaded places.
An excellent sense of balance allows the animal to sleep standing up, placing its heavy tusks on tree branches or on top of a termite mound. In captivity, he pushes them through the bars or rests them against the wall.
Sleeps 4 hours a day. Cubs and sick individuals can lie down on the ground. The Asian elephant walks at a speed of 2-6 km/h, accelerating up to 45 km/h when in danger, which is signaled by its raised tail.
The elephant not only loves water treatments - it swims excellently and is capable of having sex in the river, impregnating several partners.
Asian elephants convey information not only by roaring, trumpet calls, grumbling, squealing and other sounds: in their arsenal they use movements of the body and trunk. Thus, the latter’s powerful blows to the ground make it clear to his relatives that their comrade is furious.
What else you need to know about the Asian elephant
This is a herbivore, eating from 150 to 300 kg of grass, bark, leaves, flowers, fruits and shoots per day.
The elephant is considered one of the largest (in terms of size) agricultural pests, as their herds cause devastating damage to sugar cane, banana and rice plantations.
A complete digestion cycle takes an elephant 24 hours., and less than half of the food is digested. The giant drinks from 70 to 200 liters of water per day, which is why it cannot go far from the source.
Elephants know how to express sincere emotions. They are genuinely sad if newborn elephants or other members of the community die. Joyful events give elephants a reason to have fun and even laugh. Having noticed a baby elephant fallen in the mud, an adult will definitely extend his trunk to help. Elephants are able to hug, wrapping their trunks around each other.
In 1986, the species (as close to extinction) was included in the pages of the International Red Book.
The reasons for the sharp decline in the number of Indian elephants (up to 2-5% per year) are:
- killing for ivory and meat;
- persecution due to damage to farmland;
- degradation environment related to human activity;
- death under the wheels of vehicles.
In nature, adult individuals have no natural enemies, with the exception of humans: but baby elephants often die when attacked by Indian lions and tigers.
In the wild, Asian elephants live 60-70 years, in zoos 10 years more.
This is interesting! The most famous long-lived elephant is Lin Wang from Taiwan, who went to his forefathers in 2003. It was a decorated war elephant that “fought” on the side of the Chinese army during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1954). At the time of his death, Lin Wang was 86 years old.
Squad - Proboscis
Family - Elephantids
Genus/Species - Elephas maximus. Indian elephant or Asian elephant
Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: 5.5-6.4 m.
Height: 2.5-3 m.
Weight: up to 5,000 kg.
Tusk length: Unlike the Indian elephant, the tusks are relatively small - no longer than 1.5 meters and weigh 20-25 kilograms. Only males have tusks, and sometimes there are elephants without tusks at all, these are called “makhna”.
REPRODUCTION
Puberty: from 8-12 years old.
Mating season: during the rainy season.
Pregnancy: 20-21.5 months.
Number of cubs: usually 1.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: male Indian elephants (see photo) usually live alone, females with cubs - in herds.
What it eats: grass and leaves, fruits and tree branches, bark and roots.
Sounds: an irritated animal trumpets loudly.
Lifespan: about 60 years old.
RELATED SPECIES
Subspecies of the Indian elephant: Ceylon, Indian, Sumatran and Malayan elephants.
Your funny animal friends. Indian elephant Eddie. Video (00:22:01)
The Indian elephant is a social animal. Elephants live in herds, the individual members of which staunchly protect each other. In case of danger, adult animals stand in a circle, with the cubs placed in its center. If for any reason an elephant calf becomes orphaned, he is necessarily adopted by another female from the same herd.
REPRODUCTION
During the mating season, male Indian elephants become sexually active as their bodies produce a large number of hormones. At this time they can be very aggressive. Special skin glands of males, which are located between the ear and eye, secrete a black secretion. The state of sexual arousal of males is called “must”. Males during the period of must are very dangerous, they can even attack a person. The mating season of the Indian elephant occurs in different seasons of the year, but most often occurs during the heaviest rainy season. Females are usually ready for mating in the second half During this period, the pregnancy of the Indian elephant lasts up to 21.5 months. After pregnancy, the cubs are born at the beginning of the rainy season, when there is more food available. The female who gives birth is often assisted by other females. The weight of the newborn baby is usually 90-100 kg. hours after birth, the elephant calf cannot stand on its feet, so it is cared for by its mother along with other females. Newborn elephant calves often become prey for lions, tigers and hyenas. In the first years of life, the elephant calf grows very quickly after about 15 years, although it continues. throughout their lives, young males experience another growth spurt between 20 and 30 years of age.
LIFESTYLE
The growth of the Indian elephant occurs throughout its life, so the eldest individual is the largest animal in the herd. Despite their massive body, elephants move almost silently. There is a special mass on the sole of the elephant that springs when the elephant rests on its foot, while the sole expands and the supporting surface increases. The Indian elephant is a forest dweller. It prefers light-colored forests with a dense undergrowth of bamboo.
In summer, elephants climb high into the mountains. In the jungle, where individual members of the herd could get lost, elephants constantly call to each other. Individuals of both sexes live separately almost the entire year. Females keep family herds.
WHAT DOES IT EAT?
The Indian elephant has a very mobile trunk, with its help it picks leaves, fruits and young shoots of trees. The elephant tears off the soft bark of young trees with its tusks, and then takes it with its trunk and puts it in its mouth. In one day, an Indian elephant eats about 150 kg of food.
The trunk was formed as a result of the fusion of the nose with the upper lip. It performs several functions at once. The elephant uses its trunk as an olfactory and tactile organ, feeling objects with it like a hand. With its help, the elephant pulls out tufts of grass with roots, which it shakes off the ground, hitting it on its front legs. An Asian elephant at a watering hole takes 5-10 liters of water into its trunk, closes the holes at its end and pours the water into its mouth.
The trunk is a very important organ for an elephant. If the animal injures it or for any other reason loses the ability to use it, it will be forced to starve.
INDIAN ELEPHANT AND MAN
Indian elephants have long been used by humans as riding and draft animals. Elephants take part in hunting and lavish temple ceremonies.
A large number of Indian elephants are purchased by zoos and circuses around the world. Nowadays, the number of Indian elephants is less than 30 thousand individuals.
INTERESTING INFORMATION. DID YOU KNOW THAT...
- The Indian elephant readily bathes and is a good swimmer. It often uses its trunk to breathe underwater.
- At the end of the trunk there are nostrils and finger-like projections. The Indian elephant has 1 protrusion on its trunk, while the African elephant has 2.
- In difficult times life situations an elephant cries like a human. Elephants that cry can also be observed in captivity.
- Elephants make low frequency sounds that humans cannot hear. Other elephants hear the voice of their relative at a distance of 19 km.
- Elephants are the only animals on Earth that “bury” their dead. When a group of elephants comes across a skeleton, each animal, after sniffing the bones, takes a rib or thigh with its trunk and hides it in depressions in the soil.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE INDIAN ELEPHANT. DESCRIPTION
Origin: The Indian (aka Asian) elephant appeared in Asia 17 million years ago. India is cooler and wetter than the African savannas, so the Indian elephant is not as large as the African elephant and does not have as large ears. In general, a comparison shows that, despite the similarities appearance, Indian and African elephants have serious anatomical differences. Elephants living in India differ from those living in Africa primarily in size. The mass of the Indian elephant does not exceed 5 tons, and its height reaches 2.5-3 meters.
Trunk: the most characteristic feature elephant. It was formed as a result of the fusion of the nose with the upper lip. The elephant uses it to pluck leaves, fruits and tree branches and to distinguish odors. With its help the animal breathes. The trunk also functions as a snorkel during bathing. The trunk is not like that of the African elephant.
Head: the skull in front is strongly flattened, while in the African elephant, on the contrary, the frontal bone is very convex.
Tusks: If the African elephant is famous for its tusks, then the Indian elephant has much smaller ones, the largest are 1.5 meters long, weighing from 20 to 25 kg.
Ears: the Indian elephant's are small, elongated, and sharp at the ends. In the same way, you can find differences in other organs, for example, molars, vertebrae - there are different numbers of them.
- Habitat of the Indian elephant
WHERE DOES IT LIVE?
At first, the Indian elephant lived in India and Southeast Asia. Today, it is found only in the mountainous regions of India, Indochina, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and Southern China.
PRESERVATION
The Indian elephant population is approximately 30,000 individuals. It is in danger of extinction in all natural habitats.
National Geographic: Secrets of Wild India. In the kingdom of elephants / Elephant Kingdom. Video (00:48:02)
Home to more than a billion people, India also has wild areas inhabited by giants, predators and exotic creatures. Legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough in the next film in the series
Indian elephant. Video (00:01:37)
Elephant riding in India, GOA - Indian elephant. Video (00:00:51)
Indian elephant in the backyard. Video (00:01:04)
I was walking along some roundabout paths to have lunch and with my peripheral vision I noticed something big and gray, or rather I even felt something powerful. Since then I’ve been coming in to feed them bananas.
The Indian or Asian elephant belongs to the family Elephantidae and forms a genus called Asian elephants. Animals live in tropical and deciduous forests with dense undergrowth. These days they are not found in steppe regions. Human agricultural activity is to blame. In areas free of high vegetation, elephants live only in nature reserves. Along wooded slopes they rise into the mountains to a height of up to 3 thousand meters above sea level. These are the Eastern Himalayas in northeast India. They do not disdain swampy areas. They love shallow bodies of water.
There are three species of Asian elephant. This is the elephant of Sri Lanka (a large island located southeast of India). Indian elephant living in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, China. And the elephant of Sumatra and Borneo (Indonesia). In general, when talking about Asian elephants, they use the common term “Indian elephant” for all species.
This animal is very large and strong. But in size and weight it is inferior to the African or savannah elephant. That is, in terms of size, it occupies an honorable second place among all mammals on the planet. The weight of males reaches a maximum of 5.5 tons with a height of 3.2 meters. Females are smaller. They weigh around 2.6 tons with a height of 2.2-2.4 meters. The weight of the skeleton is 15% of the body weight. The largest Asian elephant was shot in India in 1924. Its weight was 8 tons with a height of 3.35 meters, and its body reached 8 meters in length. Today's elephants have body lengths ranging from 5.5 to 6.6 meters. The tail is no more than one and a half meters long.
Externally, the body of the Indian elephant looks stockier than that of the African elephant. The legs are powerful, and their soles are capable of increasing the area in contact with the ground. Therefore, the animal moves freely through swampy areas and sands. The front legs have five hooves or toes, the hind legs have 4. The skin color is dark gray, almost brown. Skin is dry and wrinkled. Elephants constantly monitor her condition. They love to roll in the dust, swim and scratch themselves on trees. Coarse, sparse hair grows on the body. In elephant calves it is thicker and has a brown color.
The shape of the head of the Asian elephant is different from the shape of the head of its African counterpart. Thanks to it, you can determine at first glance where is an inhabitant of the African savannah and where is an inhabitant of the tropical forests of India. The animal has two large protuberances on its head. And at the edges the head seems to be compressed. The ears are small, but the Africans have huge “mugs”.
It is a clot of muscles and is nothing more than a fused nose and upper lip. Its length ranges from 1.5 to 1.8 meters. A bucket of water fits freely into the trunk. At its end there is a finger-like process. The African elephant has two such processes.
- These are the upper fangs that have grown to enormous sizes. The Indian elephant is notable for the fact that females do not grow tusks. This is sometimes observed in males as well. This is especially common in animals living in Sri Lanka. The length of the tusks reaches 1.6 meters with a maximum weight of 25 kg. African tusks grow up to 2.5 meters and weigh 45 kg. The largest Asian elephant tusks were 1.8 meters long and weighed 40 kg.
The animal has 4 molars in its mouth. They change 4 times throughout life. The first time after the loss of baby teeth at 15-16 years old, and then at intervals of 12 years. After the last pair of molars wears out, the animal dies from malnutrition. The Indian elephant lives 80 years under favorable conditions. In the wild, the usual life expectancy is 60-65 years, rarely 70 years.
Reproduction
Puberty in males occurs at the age of 12-15 years. Having become sexually mature, they begin every year to fall into a state called must or mast (in English musth). It is characterized by increased levels of testosterone (sex hormone). Its concentration in the body increases 100 times. The male becomes aggressive and irritable. The must lasts for 2 months. All this time, the elephant eats almost nothing, but is busy searching for females ready for fertilization. It is interesting that the African elephant is also subject to must, but it is practically not expressed in any way and passes almost unnoticed.
Having found a female, the Indian elephant must also fight with rivals. Only by winning all the fights does he finally achieve reciprocity, which lasts about 20 days. Pregnancy lasts from 18 to 22 months. One baby elephant is born; very rarely there are twins. The baby weighs 100 kg at birth with a height of 1 meter. Milk feeding lasts about 2 years. In females, puberty occurs at the age of 10-12 years. The young male leaves the herd when he reaches the age of 8-12 years. Females remain with their mother for life.
Behavior and nutrition
The Indian elephant is a collective animal. Females always form herds. Each one is headed by a mature and experienced lady. The group also includes her daughters and cubs. In our time, such formations number from 10 to 20 animals. In the old days, when man invaded the wild from time to time, the herd of elephants numbered several dozen animals. Males also form groups, but these groups are very fragile. They often break up and then form again, but with partial replacement of males. Often a herd of females is accompanied by a mature male. But he never feels like a full member of the team.
A resident of the Asian expanses eats plant foods. He eats grass, leaves, roots. They gnaw the bark of trees. Enjoys bananas and sugar cane. He often looks into agricultural lands, which greatly annoys people.
The herd feeds in one place for no more than a few days. Animals love to eat, so they quickly destroy all the vegetation around them and move to another feeding area. Moreover, each herd adheres to certain territorial boundaries. They lie, as a rule, in the range of 30-40 square meters. km. Elephants have poor eyesight, but have excellent senses of smell and hearing. These animals are prone to mutual assistance and have a very high intelligence, which is second only to the intelligence of dolphins.
Indian elephant and man
In the wild, the Indian elephant has practically no enemies. Relative danger comes only from Bengal tigers and leopards. In ancient times, elephants were harassed by Asiatic lions. Nowadays, these predators have practically disappeared from wildlife. The pitiful remnants of a once huge population while away their lion life in the north-west of India in the Girsky Nature Reserve and do not pose any threat to elephants.
Since time immemorial, people have domesticated huge and strong animals. Elephants “served” in the army long before Alexander the Great’s campaign in India. They participated in religious rituals. Elephants were kept in the courts of all Indian rulers. This was considered prestigious, and once again emphasized the power of the ruler. On all the hard ones construction work These animals were also used. Indian elephants are well domesticated and are very smart.
In recent decades, the need for construction elephants has practically disappeared. Many powerful mechanisms have appeared in India, each of which is capable of replacing a hundred powerful animals at a time. With the growth of cultivated areas, the relationship between man and elephant became tense. Today, in the vast Asian region, there are no more than 50 thousand of these smart animals. People prefer to shoot elephants so that they do not interfere with their normal lives. The males' tusks also play a role in wiping out the population. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed in the International Red Book, but its numbers have been steadily declining by at least 2-3% per year.
