Asian Elephant
Elephas maximus indicus
The Asian elephant is the largest land mammal on the Asian continent. They inhabit dry to wet forest and grassland habitats in 13 countries spanning South and Southeast Asia. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears. Asian Elephants migrate to find food and water. The Asian elephant are classified as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Its population has declined by an estimated 50 percent over the past 75 years, and there are an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 Asian elephants left in the wild.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Subtribe: Elephantina
Genus: Elephas
Species: Elephas maximus (Asian elephant)
Subspecies: E. m. maximus (Sri Lankan Asian elephant)
Subspecies: E. m. indicus (mainland Asian elephant)
Subspecies: E. m. sumatranus (Sumatran Asian elephant)
Subtribe: Loxodontina
Genus: Loxodonta
Species: Loxodonta africana
Subspecies: Loxodonta africana africana (bush or savannah elephant)
Subspecies: Loxodonta africana cyclotis (forest elephant)