Indian elephant to what genus it belongs. Asian elephants: description, features, lifestyle, nutrition and interesting facts. The status of the species in nature

Indian elephant is a mammal from the proboscis order. Last living now asian elephant, the rest are fossil species. Science considers it the second largest among those existing on this moment animals.

Description

The growth of the Indian elephant reaches 2.7 meters, the female animal is slightly lower - up to 2.2 meters. Body length varies from 5.5 to 6.4 meters, largest sizes males differ. Huge size- this is distinguishing feature that the animal has.

How much an elephant weighs is of interest to inquisitive people. The average weight of an elephant is 2,700 kg, which is still one and a half times less than the mass of a relative from Africa.

The elephant belongs to the proboscis order, is one of the three modern representatives of the elephant family. Some differences allow us to distinguish four subspecies of the Asian elephant, which were named according to the place of distribution:

1. the elephant differs the most large tusks;
2. Sri Lankan elephant, it has no tusks, the head in proportion to the body seems too large;
3. the Sumatran elephant, which received the nickname "pocket elephant" due to its small size;
4. Bornean elephant with especially large ears and a long tail.

The main feature that distinguishes the Indian elephant from the African one is the geographical division, which is reflected in the names of the species. At that time, subspecies of the Asian elephant are also named after their range. The Asian elephant is common in India, China, Cambodia and Thailand, Sri Lankan - in Sri Lanka, Sumatran - in Sumatra, Bornean - in the northeastern part of the island of Borneo.

If you look at both species, you can clearly understand which elephants are more Indian or African. The Indian giant has a more massive physique, legs are thick and short.

The elephant has a wide forehead, depressed in the middle. Indian and have tusks, however Asian look they are 2-3 times smaller, and in some subspecies they may be completely absent. The trunk contains inside a complex system of muscles and tendons.

The powerful body makes the elephant adapted to life in rather difficult conditions; it is often found in dense and impenetrable forests. An elephant can do without water and food for some time, but prefers to avoid desert areas.

The elephant tolerates the cold better, while in hot weather it is forced to hide in the shade. This is due to the absence of sweat glands in the skin, which could help cool the body.

This animal equally loves to swim in water and mud, this saves the skin from insect bites, sunburn and drying out. A bulky physique does not hinder high mobility.

Elephants can reach speeds of up to 48 km/h in times of danger. Weak eyesight is more than compensated by the excellent development of hearing, animals can communicate at a distance of several kilometers by infrasound. The lifestyle is predominantly nocturnal, rest requires 4 hours of sleep per day, most often elephants sleep during the day.

Food

Indian and African elephant they have a similar diet, they prefer to eat grass, fruits, leaves and roots of trees, sometimes they eat bark. The love of plant food often causes elephants to ruin agricultural crops.

The ability of elephants to breed does not depend on the season, only the strongest males who managed to win the mating match are allowed to mate. Every year, males fall into a state of must, which is characterized by aggressive behavior and excessive sex drive. Elephant gestation is unusually long, ranging from 18 to 22 months.

Enemies

What a powerful body the elephant has! This state of affairs results in a lack of natural enemies, only a person is capable of harming elephants. Tigers and lions have the opportunity to attack elephants.

AT natural conditions Elephants live up to 70 years; if kept by humans, their lifespan sometimes increases to 80 years or more. Most common cause death is tooth wear, animals lose the ability to eat and die of hunger.

Indian and African elephant - no adoption necessary measures animals may disappear and face the earth. They are endangered species and are protected by relevant laws.

The elephant is an interesting animal that has left a significant mark on the culture, many of which have gone down in history. A lot of interesting facts are connected with Asian elephants:

• they have a flexible mind, many "words" are used to communicate with each other;
• significance for man has led to the fact that even in religion the Indian elephant god Ganesha was imprinted, created in his likeness;
• a herd of elephants has a complex social structure.

Elephants are the biggest land mammals on our planet. by the most famous species The elephant families are African and Asian (Indian) elephants. They live on different continents, but lead almost the same lifestyle.

Where do elephants live?

African elephant habitat

Once upon a time African Elephants inhabited almost the entire African continent. The habitat of elephants was stretched from north to south of the entire mainland. As early as the 6th century AD, the northern population of elephants was completely exterminated.

In the 21st century, the African elephant population has survived in the southern, western, eastern and central countries Africa, namely: Namibia, Tanzania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, Mali, Botswana, Ethiopia, Chad, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Zambia, Uganda, Botswana, Niger, Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda , Liberia, Cameroon, Benin, Sierra Leone, Togo, Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, Gabon, Swaziland, CAR, Equatorial Guinea. Most of livestock, in these countries, lives in the territories of nature reserves and national parks. Leaving the reserves, elephants often become the prey of poachers.

African elephants live in different landscapes, avoiding only deserts and rainforest. The main priorities for choosing places to live for elephants are the following criteria: the availability of food resources, water and shade.

Read about the diet of elephants in the article.

Where does the Indian elephant live?

Indian The elephant was distributed throughout South Asia. AT wild environment he lived along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far as the Malay Peninsula. Some herds were distributed even near the Himalayas and along the Yangtze River in China. In addition to mainland Asia, elephants lived on the islands of Sumatra, Sri Lanka and Java.

Now Asiatic elephant meets in wild nature only partially in Northeast and South India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia (Borneo), Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia (Sumatra), China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei and Laos.

The Indian or Asian elephant belongs to the elephant family and forms a genus called Asian elephants. Animals live in tropical and deciduous forests with dense undergrowth. In the steppe regions today they are not found. The reason for this is the agricultural activity of man. In areas free from high vegetation, elephants live only in reserves. On the wooded slopes they rise to the mountains to a height of up to 3 thousand meters above sea level. These are the Eastern Himalayas in northeastern India. They do not disdain the swampy terrain. They love shallow waters.

There are three types of Asian elephant in total. 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 term "Indian elephant" common to all species.

The 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 dimensions, it occupies an honorable second place among all mammals on the planet. The weight of males reaches a maximum of 5.5 tons at a height of 3.2 meters. The females are smaller. They weigh within 2.6 tons at 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 the body reached 8 meters in length. In current elephants, the body length ranges from 5.5 to 6.6 meters. The tail has a length of no more than one and a half meters.

Externally, the body of the Indian elephant looks more stocky than that of the African. The legs are powerful, and their soles are able to increase the area in contact with the ground. Therefore, the animal moves freely in swampy areas and sands. There are five hooves or fingers on the front legs, and 4 on the hind legs. The skin color is dark gray, almost brown. The skin is dry and wrinkled. Elephants constantly monitor its condition. They are very fond of wallowing in the dust, bathing and scratching on trees. Rigid sparse hair grows on the body. In elephants, it is thicker and has a brown color.

The shape of the Asian elephant's head is different from that of the African counterpart. Thanks to her, you can determine at a glance where the resident African savannah, and where is the inhabitant of the tropical forests of India. On the head of the animal there are two large bulges. And on the edges of the head as if squeezed. The ears are small, while the African has huge "burdocks".

It is a bunch 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 freely enters 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 seen in males as well. This is especially true in animals living in Sri Lanka. In length, the tusks reach 1.6 meters with maximum weight 25 kg. In an 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.

An animal has 4 molars in its mouth. They change throughout life 4 times. The first time after the loss of milk teeth at the age of 15-16, and then with an interval of 12 years. After the last pair of molars wear out, the animal dies of malnutrition. An Indian elephant lives under favorable conditions for 80 years. In the wild, the usual lifespan 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 to fall every year into a state called must or mast (in English musth). It is characterized increased level testosterone (sex hormone). Its concentration in the body increases 100 times. The male becomes aggressive and irritable. The must lasts 2 months. All this time, the elephant eats almost nothing, but is looking for females ready for fertilization. It is interesting that the African elephant also undergoes must, but it is practically not expressed in any way and passes almost imperceptibly.

Having found a female, the Indian elephant must also fight with rivals. Only after winning all the fights, he finally achieves reciprocity, which lasts about 20 days. Pregnancy takes a period of 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 upon reaching the age of 8-12 years. Females stay with their mother for life.

Behavior and nutrition

The Indian elephant is a collective animal. Females always unite in herds. Each is headed by a mature and experienced lady. The group also includes her daughters and cubs. There are such formations in our time from 10 to 20 animals. In the old days, when man invaded the wild from time to time, a herd of elephants numbered several dozen animals. Males also unite in groups, but these groups are very fragile. They often break up, and then form again, but with a 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 Asian expanses feeds on plant foods. He eats grass, leaves, roots. They gnaw at the bark of trees. He enjoys eating bananas and sugarcane. Often looks at agricultural land, 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 and move to another feeding area. Moreover, each herd adheres to certain territorial boundaries. They lie, as a rule, within 30-40 square meters. km. Elephants have poor eyesight, but excellent sense 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, Asiatic lions annoyed elephants. Today, these predators have practically disappeared from the wild. The pitiful remnants of a once huge population while away their lion's life in the north-west of India in the Gir reserve and pose no threat to elephants.

People from time immemorial have tamed huge and strong animals. Elephants "served" in the army long before the campaign of Alexander the Great 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 lord. On all heavy construction work also used these animals. Indian elephants are well domesticated, besides they are very smart.

In recent decades, the need for building elephants has practically disappeared. In India, many powerful mechanisms have appeared, 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. To date, 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 life. The tusks of males also play a role in the destruction of 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.

The Indian elephant, also called the Asian elephant, is one of the endangered species of elephants that are listed in the Red Book. This is one of the largest animals on our planet, which is somewhat similar to ancient mammoth. The ears have a characteristic pointed shape and are extended downwards.

The length of the tusks of male Indian elephants reaches 1.5 meters, which is why they are often the subject of poaching. There are elephants that do not have tusks. They live mainly in eastern India.

In addition to India, this type of elephant lives in Nepal, Burma, Thailand and the island of Sumatra. Due to the expansion of agricultural land in these countries, elephants have no place to live, as a result of which their number in last years decreased sharply.

The habitat of the Indian elephant is a light forest with shrubby undergrowth. Closer to summer, they like to climb mountains, and almost never go out into the savannahs, since these territories have been turned into lands where they constantly grow something.

Hierarchy of Indian Elephant Relationships

Usually Indian elephants live and keep in groups of 15-20 individuals, obeying old female She is the head of the herd. The herd consists of subgroups of related females with cubs. As they increase, such subgroups can separate and form their own herd.

Male Indian elephants at the age of 7-8 years are separated from the herd and form their own groups for a short time. Having reached adulthood, males often stay alone. During the mating season, Indian elephant males are dangerous and aggressive and can even attack a person.

The social bonds of elephants are very strong. If there is a wounded person in the herd, others help him to get up, supporting him from both sides.

The habitats of Indian elephants have a complex unique structure. They consist of sections connected by paths, as well as areas where elephants never enter. AT danger zones Elephants walk only at nightfall.

How long does an Indian elephant live?

The life span of an Indian elephant is 60-70 years. Sexual maturity occurs at 8-12 years of age. The female carries the cub for 22 months, and becomes pregnant every 4-5 years. After giving birth, members of the herd approach the cub, greeting him with a touch of the trunk.

The mother helps him find the nipples. The cub immediately after birth is firmly on its feet and is able to move independently. By the age of 2-3 years, he begins to eat plant foods.

Indian elephant hunting

Elephants spend most of their time looking for food. They eat a lot of plant species, but almost 85% is their favorite food. During the day, the Indian elephant eats 100-150 kg per day, and in the wet season up to 280 kg, preferring grass in the wet season, and the woody mass of shrubs and trees in the dry season.

Elephants drink 180 liters of water per day. They also eat the soil, thereby replenishing their reserves of minerals and iron. In search of water, they can dig up dried up stream beds, which, after the departure of elephants, other animals use for watering. If there is enough moisture in the food, elephants can go without water for several days.

Why is the Indian elephant so revered in India?

In India, the elephant is considered a sacred animal, personifying wisdom, prudence and strength. After all, only this elephant wisely approaches the issue of survival - taking care of injured elephants and young animals. That is why the elephant is the symbol of India.

Elephants participate in wedding ceremonies and other celebrations.

Watch the video about the Indian elephant:

more:

Read more about elephants Elephant hunting: history and reality, Sumatran elephants, Indian elephant - indispensable assistant person.

The elephant is the largest land animal of the class mammals, such as chordates, proboscis order, elephant family (lat. Elephantidae).

Elephant - description, characteristics and photo.

Elephants are giants among animals. The height of the elephant is 2 - 4 m. The weight of the elephant is from 3 to 7 tons. Elephants in Africa, especially savannas, often weigh up to 10 - 12 tons. The powerful body of an elephant is covered with thick (up to 2.5 cm) skin of brown or gray color with deep wrinkles. Elephant cubs are born with sparse bristles, adults are practically devoid of vegetation.

The head of the animal is quite large with ears of noteworthy size. Elephant ears have a fairly large surface, they are thick at the base with thin edges, as a rule, they are a good regulator of heat exchange. Fanning the ears allows the animal to increase the cooling effect. An elephant's foot has 2 kneecaps. Such a structure makes an elephant the only mammal who can't jump. In the center of the foot is a fat cushion that springs up with every step, which allows these powerful animals to move almost silently.

Elephant's trunk is amazing and unique organ formed by the fused nose and upper lip. Tendons and over 100,000 muscles make him strong and flexible. Trunk performs a series important functions, while providing the animal with breathing, smelling, touching and grabbing food. Through the trunk, elephants protect themselves, water themselves, eat, communicate and even raise their offspring. Another "attribute" of appearance is the tusks of an elephant. They grow throughout life: the more powerful the tusks, the older their owner.

The tail of an elephant is about the same length as the hind legs. The tip of the tail is framed by coarse hair that helps to repel insects. The voice of an elephant is specific. The sounds that an adult animal makes are called boars, lowing, whispering and roaring of an elephant. The life expectancy of an elephant is approximately 70 years.

Elephants can swim very well and love water procedures, and their average speed movement on land reaches 3-6 km / h. When running for short distances, the speed of an elephant sometimes increases to 50 km / h.

Elephant types.

In the family of living elephants, there are three main species belonging to two genera:

Species often interbreed and produce quite viable offspring.

• Genus indian(Asian) elephants (lat. Elephas) ​​includes one species - Indian elephant(lat. Elephas maximus). He is smaller than the Savannah, but has a more powerful physique and short legs. Color - from brown to dark gray. hallmark of this species of elephants - small quadrangular auricles and one process at the end of the trunk. The Indian or Asian elephant is common in tropical and subtropical forests India, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Indian elephant

Where and how do elephants live?

African elephants live almost throughout hot Africa: in Namibia and Senegal, in Kenya and Zimbabwe, in Guinea and the Republic of the Congo, in Sudan and South Africa, elephants in Zambia and Somalia feel great. The main part of the livestock, unfortunately, is forced to live in national reserves so as not to become the prey of barbarian poachers. The elephant lives on any landscape, but tries to avoid the desert zone and too dense tropical forests, preferring the savannah zone.

Indian elephants live in the northeast and south of India, in Thailand, China and on the island of Sri Lanka, they live in Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia. Unlike their counterparts from African continent, Indian elephants like to settle in wooded area, preferring bamboo thickets of the tropics and dense shrubs.

For about 16 hours a day, elephants are busy absorbing food, while eating about 300 kg of vegetation with appetite. The elephant eats grass (including cattail, papyrus in Africa), rhizomes, bark and leaves of trees (for example, ficus in India), wild fruits, marula and even. The diet of an elephant depends on the habitat, as in Africa and India grow different trees and herbs. These animals do not bypass agricultural plantations, causing significant damage to crops, sweet potato and other crops with their visits. Their tusks and trunk help them get food, and their molars help them chew. Elephant teeth change as they grind down.

In the zoo, elephants are fed hay and greens (in in large numbers), and also give animals vegetables, fruits, root crops: cabbage, apples, beets, watermelons, boiled, oats, bran, willow branches, bread, as well as bananas and other crops, a favorite delicacy of elephants. For a day in the wild, an elephant eats about 250-300 kg of food. In captivity, elephant food intake is as follows: about 10 kg of vegetables, 30 kg of hay and 10 kg of bread.

Adult individuals are well-known "water drinkers". An elephant drinks about 100-300 liters of water per day, so these animals are almost always near water bodies.

Elephant breeding.

Elephants form family herds (9-12 individuals), including a mature leader, her sisters, daughters and immature males. The female elephant is a hierarchical link in the family, she matures by the age of 12, at 16 she is ready to bear offspring. Sexually mature males leave the herd at the age of 15-20 years (African at 25) and become solitary. Every year, males fall into an aggressive state caused by an increase in testosterone, lasting about 2 months, so quite serious clashes between clans, ending in injuries and mutilations, are not uncommon. True, this fact has its plus: competition with experienced counterparts stops young male elephants from mating early.

Elephant breeding occurs regardless of the season. The male elephant approaches the herd when he feels the female is ready to mate. loyal to each other regular time, males arrange mating battles, as a result of which the winner is admitted to the female. An elephant's pregnancy lasts 20-22 months. The birth of an elephant takes place in a society that is created by the females of the herd, surrounding and protecting the woman in labor from accidental danger. Usually one baby elephant weighing about a centner is born, sometimes there are twins. After 2 hours, the newborn baby elephant stands up and sucks mother's milk with pleasure. After a few days, the cub easily travels with its relatives, grabbing the mother's tail with its trunk. Milk feeding lasts up to 1.5-2 years, and all lactating females participate in the process. By 6-7 months, vegetable food is added to milk.