Elephant Species of the World

Introduction to the Elephant Species of the World:

Elephants are the largest land mammals on earth. They have inspired and amazed man for centuries, with their large size, unique shape and characteristics, their intelligence, and the strong, long-lasting bonds they form between members of their herd, and, in some cases, particular humans. They are presumed to have their origins on the plains of Northern Africa about 55 million years ago, and there are a number of intermediate forms and evolutionary off-shoots, such as the mammoth and mastodon (see Elephant Evolution). There are two extant species - -the elephant species surviving today are the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) and the African elephant (Loxodonta africana).

The major differences between the two species are that the Indian elephant (also known as the Asian elephant) has smaller ears, smoother skin that is more speckled in appearance due to patches of de-pigmentation, two dome-like structures on the top of the head, and only one finger-like projection at the end of the trunk (the African elephant has two). The African elephant is also larger than its Asian counterpart, although the Asian elephant can be stockier. African elephant bulls average seven tons, with the heaviest elephant being twelve and a half tons.

They also have a slightly different body shape: the African elephant has a concave back, and the belly slopes diagonally downwards from front to back: the Indian elephant has either a convex or level back, and the belly is almost horizontal or sags in the middle. There are also other differences such as the number of ribs, the number of nail-like structures on the feet, the rings and structure of the trunk, the teeth, and the fact that both male and female African elephants have tusks, whereas in the Indian elephant tusks are either reduced or absent in the female.

The forest elephant Loxodonta cycotis is found in African forests and is considered a separate species from the elephant found in the savannah, Loxodonta africana, but both are called African elephants. The Asian elephant is currently categorized in a separate genus and species: Genus Elephas ("Huge arc"); Species Elephas maximus ("Large") In addition the Asian is divided into four subspecies (although some claim they should be divided further): Elephas maximus maximus, found in Sri Lanka; Elephas maximus sumatranus, found in Sumatra and Borneo; Elephas maximus indicus, the mainland species found throughout South-east Asia; and lastly, the Borneo pygmy elephant, Elephas maximus borneensis which was discovered in 2003. Slight variations exist in each subspecies, but nothing too drastic.

Status: The African elephant (including both the forest and savannah species) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, one step below Endangered. Exact populations are uncertain, but it is believed that as much as 80% of the species occurs outside of protected areas. The Asian elephant is listed as Endangered.

- Click here for information on Elephant Evolution -

The African Elephant

The Indian Elephant (Asian)

SIZE: Shoulder height 2 - 3.5 m, mass (m) 3 000 - 5 000 kg
COLOUR: Skin grey-brownish but often assumes the colour of the soil, as elephants cover themselves with dust and mud. Often has patches of de-pigmentation, particularly on face and trunk.
MOST LIKE: The African Elephant, but the two have different distributions. Cannot be confused with any other animal within its distribution.
HABITAT: Once had a wide distribution: now only in forest patches in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and South East Asia.

Much of the biology of the Indian Elephant is basically the same as that of the African Elephant. Information listed here is pertinent to the Indian, or Asian, elephant only. Whereas African elephant calves are unlikely to survive if they lose their mother before the age of two, even if protected and cared for by other members of the herd, Indian elephant calves can survive the loss of a mother from a slightly earlier age: about 18 months.

The Indian elephant has undergone a rapid decline in population, due largely to the spread of human settlements into the preferred habitat of elephants, and particularly along rivers and plains: this has pushed elephant populations into largely isolated forest remnants, which are relatively unsuitable for human settlements. Whereas Indian elephants once had a very wide distribution, from the Tigris-Euphrates valley up into northern China, and possibly even to west Asia/north Africa, they now occur in small patches of India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, and in slightly larger areas in most of the South East Asian countries.

Accurate estimates of the number of Indian elephants remaining is very difficult, due to the isolated forest patches that they inhabit, but current estimates suggest that there are between 35 000 and 55 000 Indian elephants in 13 countries. Much of the mapping of their distribution has been done by the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The fact that many of these elephants are in isolated populations poses a threat to the species, particularly in terms of populations that are too small to be genetically viable, and attempts are now being made to link existing populations via 'corridors' of land.

Many Indian elephants are in fact 'working elephants': they are either captured or born into captivity, and are used either as pack animals (usually only in hilly terrain, as now 4 x 4 's are often used), in the logging industry, usually to haul logs and load them onto trucks, in ploughing rice paddies or other croplands, in ceremonies, and in nature tourism, to carry tourists through reserves. Many of these are very well looked after and have good relationships with their 'mahouts': they only work certain hours, and spend two or three hours a day bathing, which is also a bonding experience between the elephants and their mahouts. Less traditional timber merchants, however, have started using elephants in their industry, and many of these elephants are worked from dawn to dusk: it is in these establishments that accidents happen, the elephants are generally not treated well, and people end up being killed.

Best places to see the African Elephant in Southern Africa: