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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
asian elephants |
african
elephants |
1 appendage at end of trunk |
2 appendages at end of trunk |
smaller ears |
larger ears |
some males grow tusks |
males and females grow tusks |
rounded back |
sway-back |
oregon zoo exhibit
Elephants
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