Elephants - Photos - Distribution and Nutrition
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Picture source:
Living Travel
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African elephants live in central Africa, and Asian elephants are found in India, Indochina, Malaysia and South China. Both are herbivorous. The African species feed on grass, branches and twigs. The Asian elephant likes fruits (bananas, mango, apples), fallen leaves, and coconuts. An elephant daily consumes up to 350 pounds of food and as much as 25 to 30 gallons of water. They are constantly in search for food and, therefore, they have to roam from place to place.
Elephants - Photos - Breeding
During mating periods, it is easy to distinguish a promiscuous male by urine dropping from his penis. In this condition bulls are extremely dangerous and it is better to stay away from them.
A male continues to follow a female until she takes a suitable position. Copulation lasts no more than 20-22 seconds.
A female elephant enters reproduction period at age 12. Pregnancy lasts 20 to 22 months. It is the longest gestation period among all land animals. When giving birth, the female takes a half-sitting position. Other elephants gather around the pregnant female. Elephants can have only one calf. Calves weigh about 250 pounds, and they can walk 2 hours later after birth. A female is very aggressive when protecting the calf.
Elephants live in well-structured communities. These communities are families, which are led by matriarchs. A matriarch is an elder female, which has her female off spring and their young in subordination. When the matriarch dies, her elder young cow takes her place.
Families vary in size. A family can be relatively small (4-6 cows), but sometimes families number up to 20 cows. The size of the family is determined by general environmental conditions such as the supply of food and water. Bigger families may split, and smaller ones, if the matriarchs of the two families are sisters, come together. After mating, males either join the bachelor flock or remain aloof. They may join with other male elephants in bull herds.
Elephants - Photos - General Information Links
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Picture source:
Global Kids
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African and Asian Elephants - Notes on the elephant family.
African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) - Notes on taxonomy and biology of the African Elephant.
African Elephant Conservation Trust - The goal of the African Elephant Conservation Trust is the successful conservation of Africa's elephants within the context of human needs and pressures.
African Savannah: African Elephant - Click and get to know all there is to know about elephants!
Asian Elephant - Sketch and short description from the Canadian Museum of Natural History.
Asian Elephant Anatomy - Brief notes.
Asian Elephant Foundation of Thailand - A group supporting protection and veterinary help for Thai elephants. Bangkok, Thailand.
BBC News: Shoot an Elephant, Save a Species - Conservationists say protecting the endangered African elephant may involve killing many of the species.
BBC News: Surge in Zimbabwe Elephant Poaching - Reports of elephants being killed illegally are a setback for those who want a renewal of the treaty authorizing the export of ivory.
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - De snaring, education, and conservation of elephants and rhinoceros in Nairobi and Tsavo National Park, Kenya. Includes elephant orphan fostering program.
Elephant Anatomy - Notes on the anatomy and internal systems of the Elephant.
Elephant Campaign - Environmental Investigation Agency report on poaching and the ivory trade.
Elephants - Reprints of articles examining human-elephant conflicts.
Endangered In The Wild: Elephant - Explains why the African elephant population is in danger and tells what people are doing to help.
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Picture source:
Animal Diversity Web © 1995-2004
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
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Field Work in Africa - Introduces naturalist Cynthia Moss who has spent more than a quarter-century studying one elephant family.
IUCN/SSC African Elephant Specialist Group - African Elephant Database online, Pachyderm journal online, tools for the study and mitigation of human-elephant conflict and African Elephant Bibliography.
Living With Elephants Foundation - Resolving the conflict between the African elephant and people through research, education, and community outreach and tourism programs.
NATURE: The Elephants of Africa - Puzzles and fun, contests, and information on the life of the elephant by PBS.
PBS Online: Anamalai - Introduces the wildlife sanctuary where Asian elephants live in safety. Also provides information on the elephants and explains why this creature is considered sacred by many of the Indian people.
Proboscidea: Classification - Taxonomic classification of Asian and African Elephants, Mammoths and Mastodons.
Savanna Elephant Vocalization Project - About elephant behavior, communication and conservation. Includes descriptions, sounds, photographs and video presenting the structure and content of African savanna elephant language.
Sign Language Communication With Elephants - Research report from sign language communication with domestic Asian elephants in Northern Thailand, 1994.
Tapped Into Elephants - Streaming video or audio where the focus is on the Elephant Sanctuary and its on-demand cam footage.
The Elephant Information Repository - Information about the elephant family, and links to related Internet resources.
The Elephant Listening Project - A project that assesses the potential of acoustic monitoring for evaluating the abundance and health of elephants living in the dense forest.
The Elephant Sanctuary, Hohenwald, Tennessee - The Elephant Sanctuary of Hohenwald, Tennessee is a natural-habitat refuge where sick, old and needy
The Elephants of Africa - A PBS special on the life of elephants and the ivory trade.
Winkie Endowment Fund - Endowment fund for the permanent care of Winkie, the elephant, who has recently retired from the Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin to the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee.
WWF African Elephant Fact Sheet - Basic information about history and distribution, threats, CITES status, projects.
WWF African Elephant Position Paper - WWF Position Statement on the CITES Listing Proposal, April 2000.
WWF: Asian Elephants - Overview of biology and distribution, threats, and current conservation programs.
Elephants - Photos - Other Elephants sites
Elephants Pictures - The primitive ancestor of modern Elephants appeared during the Eocene Period about 45-55 million years ago. The first Elephant, called Moeritherium was different from the Elephants of the present time. These animals had no trunk and were up to two feet tall. Later, the climate on the earth gradually became colder and the descendants of Moeritherium grew large and developed special adaptations. Their upper lip and nose formed a trunk that makes Elephants unique nowadays. The appearance of trunk and tucks took many generations. Scientists differentiate more than 150 species of Elephants, which lived on our planet. The most famous of them are extinct mammoth and mastodons. Nowadays there are only two surviving species of Elephants. Some scientists believe that there is a third species of Elephants.
