Elephant, Asian

Length: 6.4 m (21 ft)

Height: 2.6 - 3.0 m (8.5 - 10 ft)

Weight:

Male: 5200 - 5800 kg (11,464 - 12,786 lb)

Female: 2600 - 3200 kg (5,732 - 7,716 lb)

Asian elephants differ from their African cousins in that they have smaller ears, a less sloped back, only one 'finger' on their trunk, and the hind foot has 4 nails (rather than 3). Many think that the difference exists in their tusks (which are actually modified incisor teeth), since female Asian elephants appear not to have tusks. This is not true as female Asian elephants have tiny tusks under their trunk called tushes. It is also a misconception that all males have tusks because only about 20% of bulls actually do. These males are colloquially known as 'tuskers'.

Asian elephants rank as one of the smartest animals in the world and are capable of self-recognition. They live in herds of all females and their offspring is led by an elderly female called the matriarch. The females are usually related because females never leave the group that they are born into. Males get a little too rowdy for their parents during their teenage years. These teenage years roughly coincide with ours (12-14) because elephants have a similar lifespan of about 70 years.

There is a long history of elephants being hunted by humanity for meat, ivory, and domestication. The ivory trade continues to decimate wild populations, while their habitat is being destroyed for agriculture. Because of these factors, elephants have already disappeared from much of their former range (such as China).