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| trinomial_authority = [[Georges Cuvier|(Cuvier)]], 1798 | | trinomial_authority = [[Georges Cuvier|(Cuvier)]], 1798 | ||
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The '''Indian elephant''' (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of three [[subspecies]] of the [[Asian elephant]]. It comes from mainland [[Asia]]. Since 1986, ''E. maximus indicus'' has been listed as [[endangered species|endangered]] by [[IUCN]]. The population has declined by at least 50% over the last 60–75 years. The subspecies is also threatened by habitat loss, degradation and herds being split apart into smaller groups.<ref name=iucn>Choudhury, A. and others (IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group) 2008. [https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/7140/12828813]</ref> It is recognized as the [[National animals|National animal]] of India. | The '''Indian elephant''' (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of three [[subspecies]] of the [[Asian elephant]]. It comes from mainland [[Asia]]. Since 1986, ''E. maximus indicus'' has been listed as [[endangered species|endangered]] by [[IUCN]]. The population has declined by at least 50% over the last 60–75 years. The subspecies is also threatened by habitat loss, degradation and herds being split apart into smaller groups.<ref name=iucn>Choudhury, A. and others (IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group) 2008. [https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/7140/12828813]</ref> It is recognized as the [[National animals|National animal]] of India. | ||
The Indian elephant is indigenous to mainland Asia, with approximately three-fourths of its population residing in [[Republic of India]]. This species is also found in various countries across the [[Indian subcontinent]], including [[Nepal]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], and [[Myanmar]], as well as in Southeast Asian nations such as [[Thailand]], [[Malaysia]], [[Laos]], [[Cambodia[], and [[Vietnam]], with smaller populations in [[People's Republic of China]]. | |||
Indian elephants inhabit a range of environments, including grasslands, dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests, evergreen forests, and semi-evergreen forests throughout their distribution. Classified as megaherbivores, these elephants can consume up to 150 kg of plant matter daily. Their diet varies according to habitat and seasonal availability and may consist of leaves and twigs from fresh foliage, thorny shoots, flowering plants, fruits, and grasses. | |||
Since 1986, the [[Asian elephant]] has been classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to a significant decline in its wild population, which has decreased by at least 50% over the last three generations of elephants. The species faces multiple threats, including environmental degradation, habitat loss, and fragmentation. Additionally, poaching for ivory poses a serious risk in certain regions of Asia. In response to these challenges, the Government of India launched ''Project Elephant'' in 1992, aimed at protecting elephant habitats and populations. | |||
The Indian elephant holds substantial cultural significance across its range and is featured in various religious traditions and mythologies. It is viewed positively and revered as a manifestation of Lord Ganesha in Hindu Dharma. The species has been designated as the national heritage animal of India and serves as the national animal of both Thailand and Laos. | |||
== Taxonomy == | |||
The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of the three recognised extant subspecies of the [[Asian elephant]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Don E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA90|title=Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference|last2=Reeder|first2=DeeAnn M.|date=2005|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=978-0-8018-8221-0|language=en}}</ref> The scientific name ''Elephas maximus'' was first proposed by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 for an elephant specimen from [[Ceylon]] (now [[Sri Lanka]]).<ref>{{cite book|author=Linnaei, C.|year=1758|title=Caroli Linnæi Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis|volume=Tomus I|publisher=Impensis Direct. Laurentti Salvii|location=Holmiae|chapter=''Bruta''|page=33|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/mobot31753000798865#page/32/mode/2up}}</ref> In 1798, Georges Cuvier introduced the name ''Elephas indicus'' to describe an elephant from India.<ref>{{cite book|author=Cuvier, G.|year=1798|title=Tableau elementaire de l'histoire naturelle des animaux|publisher=Baudouin|location=Paris|pages=148–149|chapter=''Elephas indicus''|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/tableaulmen00cuvi#page/148/mode/2up}}</ref> In 1940, Frederick Nutter Chasen categorised all three forms as subspecies of the Asian elephant, solidifying their classification within the broader species.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Chasen, F.N.|year=1940|title=A handlist of Malaysian mammals, a systematic list of the mammals of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java, including the adjacent small islands|journal=Bulletin of the Raffles Museum|volume=15|pages=1–209|url=https://blsea.nus.edu.sg/shared/UPLOADS/JOURNALS/LOW/BulRaf_no15.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212165718/https://blsea.nus.edu.sg/shared/UPLOADS/JOURNALS/LOW/BulRaf_no15.pdf|archive-date=12 February 2020}}</ref> | |||
== Description == | |||
[[File:Elephas maximus indicus (skull) at Göteborgs Naturhistoriska Museum 2368.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|The skull of an Indian elephant at the [[:sv:Göteborgs Naturhistoriska museum|Natural History Museum]] in [[Gothenburg]]]] | |||
In general, the Asian elephant is smaller than its African counterpart. Its back is characterised by a convex shape or is level with the highest point on its head. This species exhibits notable sexual dimorphism; males typically reach an average shoulder height of around 3.2 meters (10 feet) and can weigh up to 5,400 kg, while females average about 2.54 meters (8 feet 4 inches) in shoulder height and weigh up to 4,160 kg.<ref name=Shoshani>{{cite journal |author1=Shoshani, J.|author2=Eisenberg, J. F. |year=1982 |title=''Elephas maximus''|journal=Mammalian Species |issue=182 |pages=1–8 |jstor=3504045 |doi=10.2307/3504045}}</ref> The tallest recorded Indian elephant stood at 3.43 meters (11.3 feet) at the shoulder, and on average, they measure between 5.5 and 6.5 meters (18 to 21 feet) in length, including the trunk.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pillai |first1=N.G. |year=1941 |title=On the height and age of an elephant |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=42 |pages=927–928}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Furaha tenVelde |first1=P. |year=1997|title=The wild elephants of the Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group |issue=17 |pages=41–44 |url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/17-41-tenVelde.pdf|access-date=4 March 2011 |archive-date=13 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413131343/http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/17-41-tenVelde.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The Indian elephant has a broader skull with a concave forehead and two dorsal bulges on top. Its large, laterally folded ears and substantial trunk, which features one finger-like projection, are prominent features of its anatomy. <ref name=Shoshani/> The skeleton includes 20 pairs of ribs and 34 vertebrae. It possesses four sturdy legs that are nearly straight, with broader toes; each foreleg has five nail-like structures, while each hind leg has four. These robust legs support the elephant's considerable weight for extended periods with minimal energy expenditure, and the broad feet help cushion against hard surfaces. The tail averages between 1.2 and 1.5 meters (3 feet 11 inches to 4 feet 11 inches) in length. | |||
The skin color of the Indian elephant is generally grey, lighter than that of ''Elephas maximus maximus'' but darker than that of ''Elephas maximus sumatranus''. Its skin is typically smoother than that of African elephants and may feature smaller patches of white depigmentation or grey spots. The body is covered in brownish to reddish hairs, which tend to reduce and darken with age. Females are usually smaller than males and often have short or absent tusks.<ref>{{cite book|author=Shoshani, J.|author-link=Jeheskel Shoshani |chapter=Taxonomy, Classification, and Evolution of Elephants |year=2006 |pages=3–14 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oCpiZA61tyQC&pg=PA3 |title=Biology, medicine, and surgery of elephants |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |isbn=0-8138-0676-3 |editor1=Fowler, M. E. |editor2=Mikota, S. K. |access-date=26 October 2020|archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210101515/https://books.google.com/books?id=oCpiZA61tyQC&pg=PA3|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, Indian elephants possess approximately 29 narrow cheek teeth.<ref name=Shoshani/> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||