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Taxonomy
order-Proboscidea
family-Elephants
Genus- Elephas
Species-Elephas maximus Linnaeus
Kingdom-Animal
Phylum-Chordate
Class-Mammalia
Evolution
All Subspecies- There are three subspecies, The Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.
Closest living relative to this species-Asian elephant, elephas Maximus and the larger african savanna elephant loxodonta africana.
how long has this species been in existence- it was about 60 million years.
3 ancestors of this species-Mastodon, Mammothus, Eliphas Antiquus.
description
point key characteristics of species-They are about 6.6 to 11.5 feet in height and weigh about 4000 to 1000 pounds. These elephants go by the scientific name Elephas maximus indicus and have long trunks that are completely boneless. The trunks are known to be made up of about 40,000 muscles.
size-Record tusks have measured over 8ft 240cm in length, but on average, they are between 3 and 6ft 91 to 182cm long.
weight-4,400 and 11,000 lb
life span-48 years
differences between males and females-Males stand two feet taller, again on average, at 10.5 feet 3.2 meters tall from shoulder to toe. with male weighing close to double that of females elephants.
physical description of the animal (with at least 3 pictures)
Must include at least 5 pictures, diagrams or charts that help explain the topics.
Description of the Habitat
How much rainfall-live in forests, greenlands, and scrublands. Besides that, they can also be found in cultivated forests. the rainfall in cultivated forests small decrease of rainfall, averaging about 4 per cent, for a decrease of the forested area from 25 to 5 per cent, Scrublands typically receive between 200 to 1,000 millimeters in a year. and the Grasslands receive around 500 to 900 millimeters 20 - 35 inches of rain per yeay.
Plants-Indian elephants can be found in a wide range of habitats, including grassland, forestsmoist, tropical or dry, and also cultivated forestsand scrubland .
Animals-Birds, plants, baboons, and antelope.
Temperature-the average between 30 and 35 degrees celsius.
Terrain- they indian elephant like to live in riverine forests and also in karnataka.
Distribution
Continents found-the They are found on the mainland of the asian continents.
Invasive at all-Invasive exotic species pose an enormous threat to the world‟s biological diversity. Invasions can alter native communities, replacing local biotas with non-indigenous species introduced by humans. Exotic plant invasions can have negative effects on native flora, which can be in turn detrimental to the herbivores that depend on the vegetation.
Diet
What exactly does it eat-They feedmainly on grasses, but large amounts of tree bark, roots, leaves and small stems are also eaten.
How often does it eat-Indian elephants may spendup to 19 hours a day feeding and they can produce about 220 pounds of dung per day while wandering over an area that can cover up to 125 square miles.
How does it get it’s food- they get their food on grasses, tree bark,roots and small stems also too.
Any special foods-bananas, rice and sugarcane are favored foods.
Social Structure
Live in packs or solo- Males usually live alone but sometimes form a small groups with other males.
Roles within community- they control resource availability for other species by modifying the physical environment around them and in doing so transform, maintain, and create habitats.
Male or Female led groups- varying by gender, and population dynamics. Adult elephants form matriarchal (female-led) societies.
Individuals that make up the group- both males and females
How do they interact with each other-Touching, caressing and smelling each other with their trunks also helps elephants maintain their social bonds.
Reproduction
How often do they mate- in optimal habitats, calving intervals are 2.5-4 years. and in less favorable conditions,conditions, calving intervals are 5-8 years.
How many mates do they have-The Indian elephants are known to mate by rubbing their bodies against each other and even wrapping their trucks together. Male Indian elephants then mount the female from behind.
Time of year for mating-The rutting (or mating) season usually occurs during periods of high rainfall, as females come in heat in the second half of the rainy season. During the mating season, bull (male) elephants produce large amounts of a hormone known as 'musth', which makes them more aggressive as well as sexually active.
Mating rituals-During courtship, a male and a female elephant will rub their bodies on each other and even wrap trunks. The females tend to run away from the males and he will have to pursue her.
Number of offspring produces at a time- most females give birth for the first time at the age of 16-17 years.
Any unique characteristics of their mating-The Indian elephants have a polygynous mating system. These animals breed year-round. Before mating, males usually engage in aggressive fights, which occasionally result in serious injuries or even death.
Development
Stages of development- there are three main stages in an indian elephant's life, when it's a baby, when it's an adolescent, and when it's an adult. the baby stage lasts from when the calf, baby elephant is until it no longer depends on its mother for nutrition.
How old before sexual maturity- Elephant may propagate their species several years before they attain males are often sexually adult when they are 14-15 years old.
Activities and environment of stages-helping with seed dispersal and creating a habitat for smaller animals by tearing down trees.
Difference between males and females-males weighing close to double that of female elephants. As you might expect, the difference in weight also gives male elephants a curvier, wider build.
Causes of death
Predation-Electrocution, poisoning and train hits have been identified as the major causes of over 200 deaths of elephants in the past five years in Assam. infectious disease of indian elephant incoulde tuberculosis, haemorrhagic septicaemia, trypanosomiasis, pyroplasmosis, food and mouth disease.
Intra-species – with other species-habitat loss forces elephants to seek alternarive food sources in the many farms, setttlements and plantations that have replaced their ancient forest homes. and the other species that indian elephant compete with in is rhinoceros. and humans.
What do they compete over- Bengal tigers are one of the prominent predators of the Indian elephant, but tigers hunt down the babies of these elephants owing to their size.
Affect of invasive species-Invasions can alter native communities, replacing local biotas with non-indigenous species introduced by human
IUCN Rating
What is the rating? Endangered.
Population- the total porpulation is near 40,000
Population Trend-the trend population have been steadily increasing since 1980, rising from around 16,000 to over 27,000 in 2017.
Impact of Humans
What impacts have occurred-the quest for land by an increasing human population throughout the indian elephant's habitat is leaving little room for them. lllegal encroachment into protected areas and forest clearing for roads or other development are all cousing habitat loss and fragmentation.
Potential Future impacts-may lose up ro 42 percent of suitable habitatsnin lindia and nepal by 2070.
How long have humans been interacting with species-The oldest evidence comes from the Indus Valley civilization, around roughly 2000 BC. Archaeological evidence for the presence of wild elephants in the Yellow River valley in Shang China ( c. 1600–1100 BC) may suggest that they also used elephants in warfare.
Efforts being made to minimize impacts-Illegal hunting and habitat loss are having a big impact on elephants. and to protect elephant and their habitat , reduce human-elephant conflict.
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