Asian Elephant

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scientific name

Elephas maximus

size/weight/height

Weight: 6,000 -14,000 lbs • males may weigh 14,300 lbs.

Height: 7-12 feet • reach maximum size at 25 yrs. old

Note. African elephants tend to be somewhat taller than their Asian counterparts, but generally they don't outweigh them • some people define "larger" by height, while others define it by bulk • where height is concerned, Packy = very large elephant!

adaptations/coloration

Feet: adapted to support great weight • toes arranged in circle around spongy pad which cushions each step • zoo keepers trim bottoms of feet (using same tools as those used to care for horses' hooves) because captive elephants don’t wear them down as much as they would in the wild

Teeth: 4 molars (2 upper and 2 lower) • well adapted to grinding up branches • each tooth weighs about 9 lbs. • 6 sets of teeth in lifetime

Structure of teeth: series of plates - front plates break off and tooth builds up from back - pushing front tooth forward and out

Trunk: plays role in communication, touch, feeding and drinking, olfaction, chemo-communication, offense/defense • amazingly strong and flexible—can lift heavy logs or pluck single leaf from tree • when completely submerged in water, elephants extend trunk above surface to breathe • weighs about 400 lbs. • contains hundreds (some sources say 40,000) of muscles • to drink, elephants suck water part-way into trunk then squirt it into mouth. Oregon Zoo elephants have been observed to virtually empty a 5-gallon container of water in one siphon, indicating that an elephant's trunk can accommodate 4.5-5 gallons.

Tusks: a long incisor with length up to 5' and weight up to 40 lbs. • only some males have tusks • constantly growing and wearing down

Tusk innervation: nerve extends down tusk about 1/3 of distance from lip to tip (tusk = that portion which protrudes beyond the rim of the sulcus).

Tusk or tush? Tushes lack innervation • tushes are smaller than tusks • most females and many males have tushes (Packy has tushes).

behavior

Food: may spend as much as 18 - 20 hours daily feeding

reproduction/lifespan

Average lifespan: 45 years

Sexual Maturity. males 8-12 yrs. • females 6-10 yrs. • but doesn't mean that elephants breed at these ages under wild conditions - in fact, breeding at these ages highly unlikely

Gestation. 630-660 days

Delivery/Birthing. upright position - rear-end first • height typically 32-36" (grows about 1"/mo.) • mother accompanied by other adult females ("aunties") that protect the young

Infant. 200-250 lbs. • gains 2.5-3 lbs. daily • nurses up to 5 yrs. (in wild)

diet

herbivore

Wild: bamboo, fruits (500 lbs. vegetation) leaves, shoots, reeds, grasses, up to 50 gal water

Zoo: vary with animal, its age, etc. • typically, adult cow might eat 1 bale (100 lbs.) of timothy hay, 20-80 lbs. produce (dependent upon availability), 1 gal rolled oats, 1.5 gal specially-formulated pelleted feed, 30-50 gal water, various vitamin and mineral supplements • bulls consume somewhat greater quantities of hay and grain • Oregon zookeepers also dispense 2-6 cases of "treats" each day

habitat/range

variety of terrain • thick jungle to open grassy plains • Burma, Ceylon, India, Malaya, and as far east as Vietnam • Indigenous to areas of high altitude (e.g., Nepal)

status

US Endangered • CITES App I • SSP • critically endangered • Oregon Zoo holds Asian Elephant Regional Stud Book • Asian elephants' situation much more precarious than African counterparts • endangered primarily because of fatalities resulting from conflicts with human activities, such as agriculture • other threats: poaching, loss of habitat from human expansion • their feeding habits become destructive when confined in these small areas • does not, at present, apply to Asian elephants

population

Vietnam: under 200, according to currently available population statistics
Total estimated population worldwide: 35,000 individuals

oregon zoo exhibit

Elephants

learn more

Visit our Elephant Museum
Get to know the Oregon Zoo's elephant herd
Learn about our successful breeding program
Learn more about elephant breeding and husbandry at zoos around the country. Learn about The National Elephant Center