Asian Elephant

Elephas maximus

Sri Lanka and east as far as Sumatra – dry and wet forests and plains

IUCN status Endangered

Habitat India, Sri Lanka and east as far as Sumatra – dry and wet forests and plains

Diet Herbivore – grasses, bamboo, legumes, succulent climbers, creepers, palms, bark

It is estimated there are less than 42,000 Asian elephants remaining in the wild and they have
virtually disappeared from south-west Asia and China. Wild herds are made up of females led by a matriarch and are only joined by males when they are ready to breed. Compared with African elephants, the Asian species has smaller ears (shaped rather like India!), its head
is higher than its shoulder, its trunk has only one finger-like bump at the end as opposed to two, and it has four toenails on its hind feet.

Did you know?
An elephant’s trunk is formed from the nose and upper lip. It is used for breathing, smelling, touching, communicating, washing, dust-bathing, picking up objects, eating and drinking!