Asian+Elephant-O'Dwyer

Asian Elephan, Elephas maximus

Family: Ele﻿phantidae The family of elephants, Elephantidae, all have similar characteristics of a long nose called a trunk, large ears, large bodies, and tusks. Other than the Asian elephant, there is the African elephant, Sri Lankan elephant, Borneo Elephant, Indian elephant, and Sumatran elephant. There differences are where they live and adaptations to their environment. There is also a forest elephant, which is a different species from the rest, but same family.

Asian Elephants: Elephas maximus Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus: Elephas Species: E. maximus Metabolism: Asian elephants eat roots, grass, fruits, and bark. They use their tusks to strip bark and dig up roots. Next they pick up the food with their trunks and put it into their mouths. Because of the elephant's size, it can consume up to 300lbs of food each day!

Movement: The Asian elephant has four legs and uses all of them to walk. They roam around, mostly to look for food. Asian elephants do not sleep much, for they are usually moving to look for food since they need so much of it!

Adaptations: Asian elephants have three main adaptations that helps them in their environment. The first is their large ears. They radiate heat to keep the elephant cool in its hot climate. The next is their long nose, or trunk. It is used for smelling, breathing, drinking, and eating. It also grabs objects and is used for trumpeting, which is the sound they make. Their last main adaptation is their two tusks. They are good for digging up roots or water and stripping bark from trees. The tusks can also be used when fighting other elephants.

Male vs. Female: The male and female Asian elephants have several differences. Females live in herds with their children, but males either roam on their own or live in "bachelor herds". Bachelor herds are herds of all male Asain elephants. Males are slightly larger, at about 12,000lbs and 10 feet tall at the shoulder. Females are around 9,200lbs and 8.3 feet tall at the shoulder. Also, male elephants are matured at 12-15 years old, but females are usually a little earlier at 9-15 y ears old. Lastly, female elephants do not have tusks, while the male elephants do.

Reproduction: The reproduction of Asain elephants is very long. Gestation is 18-22 months, which is the longest mammal gestation. These animals usually give birth to one child, but occasionally twins. The baby is usually 200lbs and 3 feet tall at birth already. A mother gives birth to one every 2-4 years on average.

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 * [|http://www.nationalgeographic.com]
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