Asian Elephant
Endangered Species
Physical Appearance
- Range from 7-12 feet
- 6,000- 11,000lbs
- Small ears that are flat and straight at the bottom
- African Elephants in comparison (Range 10-13 feet and 8,000-15,000lbs
-Much larger ears)
Subspecies
- Sri Lankan- Largest subspecies - Dark with white spots on face, belly and trunk
- Sumatran- Smallest subspecies -Very light in coloration
- Third is a mix between both the other subspecies
Geological Locations/Habitat
- India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China (extinct in wild), Malaysia, Indonesia, and Borneo
- Found in fragmented forests, grasslands, marshes, savannas
Elephants Importance
- Assist with logging forests, carrying heavy materials, transportation
- They have the ability to walk in areas where machines are unable to go
Why they are more susceptible to extinction
- Large animals- needing lots of food and space to live
- Gestation period is 2 years
- They have very few young
Humans Affects on their Endangerment
- Deforestation and the loss of habitat is the main threat to the Asian Elephant
- Male elephants are also hunted for their ivory tusks
Why We Care
- Elephants play a vital role in the ecosystem-they modify the habitat that affects all other plants and animals
- They provide water for other animals by digging water holes in the dry seasons (they can easily locate water underground)
- Make paths in the forests by pushing brush and pulling down trees
- Disperse seeds of fruit trees by depositing them in their dung
Endangerment Affecting Humans
- Due to the habitat destruction there is not enough food in the small forests for the elephants so the look for other food sources which are generally crops in nearby fields.
- Attempts have been made to relocate the elephants but because of the change of habitat it has caused the elephants to raid villages, destroy homes and crops.
HOME (ABSTRACT)
GENERAL BACKGROUND ON INDONESIA'S SUSCEPTIBILITY
BALI TIGER
DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE MEGAFAUNA: 1900 VS 2001
DEFORESTATION: WHY DO WE CARE?
STOP THE MADNESS
REFERENCES
GEOGRAPHY 361 HOMEPAGE
"Only when the rivers run dry, the trees are all gone and the animals are all dead will humans realize that we can't eat money..." Unknown.