elephant lifespan
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indian elephant life span
indian elephant lifespan in wild
thai elephant lifespan
african elephant lifespan
What is the African elephant?
African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than their Asian cousins and can be identified by their larger ears that look somewhat like the continent of Africa. (Asian elephants have smaller, rounded ears.)
Although they were long grouped together as one species, scientists have determined that there are actually two species of African elephants.
—and that both are at risk of extinction. Savanna elephants are larger animals that roam the plains of sub-Saharan Africa, while forest elephants are smaller animals that live in the forests of Central.
and West Africa. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists savanna elephants as endangered and forest elephants as critically endangered.
African elephants are keystone species, meaning they play a critical role in their ecosystem.
cosystem engineers
Also known as “ecosystem engineers,” elephants shape their habitat in many ways.
During the dry season, they use their tusks to dig up dry riverbeds and create watering holes many animals can drink from.
Their dung is full of seeds, helping plants spread across the environment—and it makes pretty good habitat for dung beetles too.
In the forest, their feasting on trees and shrubs creates pathways for smaller animals to move through.
and in the savanna, they uproot trees and eat saplings, which helps keep the landscape open for zebras and other plains animals to thrive.
sri lankan elephant lifespan
what is the lifespan of an african elephant
Sri Lankan Elephant Images
The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three subspecies of the Asian elephant.
The species as a whole is recognized as being the largest land animal in Asia and the Sri Lankan type is the largest of the species.
With a population that only includes a few thousand individuals, these elephants are actively conserved and are considered at risk of further population decline.
Geographically, they are limited to the island of Sri Lanka situated off the southern coast of India.
Fragmentation of their habit, narrowing of geographic range and frequent lethal interactions with humans are all contributing factors in their decline.
Sri Lankan Elephant Facts
Massive Proportions: This subspecies has the biggest height and weight of all Asian elephants. They can weigh over 10,000 pounds and reach a height of over 10 feet at the shoulder.
Tusk Rarity: Sri Lankan elephants only rarely have tusks compared to other types of elephant. Only a small fraction of adult males grow them out.
Small Range: These animals may be big, but their natural geographic range is not. They are only found in select regions of the island of Sri Lanka.
Big Appetite: These animals need to eat hundreds of pounds of food each day to maintain their massive body.
Sri Lankan Elephant Appearance
Sri Lankan elephants are the largest of the Asian elephant subspecies and the biggest land animals on the continent. Adults can reach a height of 11.5 feet, which is about twice as tall as an average human man.
Body weight can range from 4,400 to 12,000 pounds.
There is generally a big size difference between male and female elephants. Males are typically 20 to 30 percent taller and can weigh almost twice as much as a female of comparable age.
These elephants
These elephants have a mostly grey body with lighter spots or flecks caused by a lack of pigment in some of the skin cells.
Also, unlike African elephant species, female Sri Lankan elephants never grow tusks beyond short nubs.
The longest tusks reported on a Sri Lankan elephant were 7.5 feet long and belonged to Raja, a nationally-recognized animal in India who served a ceremonial role in a local religious center.
Photos with Sri Lankan Elephant
Distribution
The range of this species is limited to Sri Lanka Island off the southern coast of India, where a small population of these elephants inhabit a natural reserve called the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary. The Sri Lankan elephants are found in different habitats such as open grasslands, forested regions, open savannas as well as marshes and lake shores.
Habits and Lifestyle
The Sri Lankan elephants are highly social animals. They are known to form matriarchal herds of 12 – 20 individuals. These social units consist of related females and are led by the oldest female.
There are 2 types of herds: nursing units, made up of lactating females and their offspring; and juvenile care units, composed of females and juveniles. These elephants are migratory animals, travelling strict routes between the wet and dry seasons, determined by the monsoon season.
While migrating, the oldest member of the herd usually remembers the route and guides the group on their way.
However, due to expansion of human settlements, these animals have been known to come across and destruct farms on their ancient migratory routes.
They are active both day and night, but many of them sleep under large trees in the day time.
Diet and Nutrition
As herbivores, the Sri Lankan elephant mainly consumes grasses, leaves, shoots, barks, fruits, nuts, seeds and other vegetation.
Population
threats
number
According to the IUCN Red List, the total number of Sri Lankan elephants’ population is 2,500-4,000 individuals. Overall, the Asian elephant is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List.
This factor, combined with deforestation, leads to conflicts between elephants and humans, resulting in destruction of property as well as mortality among both parties, where population of these elephants in the wild reduces by 6% every year.
