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Indian elephant - ELEPHAS MAXIMUS
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Elephant": "Elephant" is an ancient word, coming from the Greek word "elephas," but dating back to ancient Egypt. It is possible that the words "elephant" and "ivory" came from the same ancient Egyptian word. They are also known as pachyderms, which means "thick skin." The Indian Elephant is also known as the Asian Elephant, since it is also native to Southeast Asia.
Location: India and the Indochinese peninsula of Southeast Asia.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Varied, from forests to plains.
Description: These elephants are usually gray, but may have light blotches over the body. They have only a few long stiff hairs present on their body, but the tip of the tail has a tuft of hairs for batting away insects. The forehead is flat and tall in Asian elephants, and its long trunk (a combination of upper lip and nose) has a single finger-like projection at the tip. Compared with the African elephant, the Indian elephant has much smaller ears, four nails on each hind foot instead of three, and tusks are only present in some males. These tusks are generally shorter than their African counterparts. Asian elephants are about 22 feet long, and about 8 to 10.5 ft tall at the shoulder. They can weigh up to six tons, although the females are somewhat smaller. Their life span can be up to 70 to 80 years.
Behavior: Indian elephants live in groups of 10 to 30, although groups of this size are becoming increasingly rare. The group is made up of individuals which are closely related, and is led by an elderly female. They relax during the hottest hours of the day and frequently sprays dirt over themselves to keep away insects. When the herd decides to travel on, it usually does so in single file.
Reproduction: Gestation lasts from 18 to 22 months and a single young is born (although twins are not unknown). This calf weighs about 220 pounds at birth. Females reach sexual maturity between 9 and 15 years of age, while males reach sexual maturity at 15 years.
Go to the Elephant Page to learn more about these unique animals.
Go to the African Elephant for the only other Elephant listed in America Zoo.
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