Asiatic elephant

The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), is one of the three species of elephant. It lives in areas in India, Southeast Asia, including the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo. It is distinguishable by its smaller size and its smaller ears, compared to African elephants. Small is relative in this case, since the Asian elephant can weigh up to 5000 kilograms and 4 meters in height! Females live in groups, bulls are solitary. The oldest female leads the group and guides their movement in search for food and water. The young hold their mother's or their sister's tail when following the group. If they are in danger, the elephants run with their tails in the air, signalling the other herd members that there is danger. After 15 years, bulls enter sexual maturity, and enter a period called 'musth' each year, in which their testosterone levels soar and they become extemely aggressive. Asian elephants are considered 'endangered' by the IUCN.

Photography by Semnoz, July 2004, licensed under GFDL