Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) lives in tropical rainforest across Indicus from mainland Asia, and E. It feeds on grasses and leaves. Its conservation status is Endangered.
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Asian elephants with adult males averaging 4 t (4.4 short tons) and females 2.7 t (3.0 short tons). A record bull shot in 1924 tipped the scales at an estimated 7 t (7.7 short tons), stood 3.43 m (11.3 ft) tall at the shoulder and measured 8.06 m (26.4 ft) from head to tail. Such massive bodies require huge amounts of food, about 150 kg (330 lb) of vegetation each day.
A single Asian elephant can travel up to 1,000 km² in its home range, but the size varies dramatically, from 20 km² to 1,000 km², depending on food and water availability. In Malaysia, two tracked elephants spent 75 % of their time within 1.5 km (0.93 mi) of a water source, underscoring how water availability compresses their movements and shapes habitat use, which is crucial for planning protected corridors.
Male Asian elephants enter a period called musth between ages 10-20, when testosterone spikes up to 100 times normal levels and the temporal glands swell, releasing a strong scent. This chemical signal, frontalin, tells females the bull's reproductive readiness, giving musth males a decisive edge in competition and boosting their chances of siring offspring.
The Asian elephant's historic range covered 9 million km² across Asia, but today it shrinks to just 500,000 km², about 5 % of its former extent. This contraction has driven the global wild population down to roughly 48,000-52,000 individuals, with India holding three-quarters of them, highlighting how habitat loss is the primary driver of their Endangered status.
Sources
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In the mist-shrouded forests of Asia, the majestic Asian elephant moves with deliberate intent, its massive form gliding effortlessly across the landscape as it searches for the lush vegetation that sustains it. With a deep wisdom etched into its wrinkled grey skin, this gentle giant navigates its domain with a quiet confidence, its large ears flapping like fans to cool its body as it makes its way through the dense undergrowth. As it disappears into the trees, its endangered status serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of this magnificent creature's place in the world.
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