Elephants are part of the family Elephantidae within the order Proboscidea. Three extant species are recognized today: African bush, African forest, and Asian elephant.
The African bush elephant is the largest, known for its ears shaped like the African continent. Meanwhile, the African forest elephant, smaller and darker, lives in dense tropical forests.
On the other side of the globe, the Asian elephant is primarily found in the forests and grasslands of the Southeast Asian region. Three recognized subspecies exist: the Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan elephants.
Additionally, recent studies add a fourth subspecies, the Bornean elephant. This population, residing in northern Borneo, sets itself apart by its smaller build yet larger ears, extended tail, and straight tusks. Genetic examinations reveal their diversion from their mainland counterparts about 300,000 years ago.
According to a 2003 study, this elephant population from Borneo shares its DNA makeup with the elephants that once roamed the Sunda Islands1. The study further suggests a prolonged separation of the Borneo elephants from Southeast Asian elephant populations since the Pleistocene era.
In the following sections, learn where each of them lives and how to distinguish them from each other easily.
African Savanna Elephants are the largest terrestrial animals in the world. They are also known as the African bush elephant. Male elephants stand up to 13 feet tall and weigh up to 23,000 pounds. They have large ears and a versatile trunk; their skin is wrinkled and grey-brown.
These giant herbivores consume almost 330 pounds of food daily throughout various environments across sub-Saharan Africa.
The oldest female in a herd usually leads the group, acting as the matriarch to ensure the safety and well-being of the herd. Moreover, these African elephants engage in practical, fun activities like mud-bathing, protecting themselves from the sun, and keeping parasites away.
African Forest Elephants live in the dense forests of West and Central Africa. While they live on the same continent, they are a separate species from the savanna elephant. They typically grow up to 9.8 feet tall and weigh up to 15,400 pounds. They also have round heads and straight tusks.
It mostly eats leaves, tree bark, and a variety of fruits. These types of elephants are the most frugivorous among the elephant species. They defecate the seeds as they travel long distances, making them mega gardeners of the forest.
However, this smaller African Elephant faces rampant deforestation and relentless poaching driven by the global demand for ivory. Their slow reproduction rate makes their survival even more challenging.
Studying them is challenging for scientists since these elephants are shy and tend to gather in smaller family units. Moreover, their habitats are relatively inaccessible.
Asian Elephants inhabit various habitats ranging from India and Nepal to Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and Malaysia.
They are smaller than their African counterparts, standing at 9 feet and weighing 8,800 pounds on average. Their heads have two humps and small, rounded ears.
Only male Asian elephants have long tusks, while females have small ones called tushes. However, some may never grow tusks, depending on their genetic makeup. These megaherbivores consume up to 330 pounds of vegetation daily, including grass, leaves, shoots, barks, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
The Sri Lankan elephant is the largest Asian elephant species. They can grow up to 11.5 feet tall and up to 12,100 pounds. They have a darker skin tone and unique patches of depigmentation on their ears, face, trunk, and belly.
This elephant inhabits the dry zones of Sri Lanka and feeds on grasses, leaves, stems, and bark, consuming up to 150 kg of food daily. They are social animals whose herds typically consist of 12-20 individuals, led by the oldest female.
Elephants hold centuries-long significance in Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamil cultures, featuring prominently in heraldic symbols, coats of arms, and flags. Integral to religious processions, Buddhist and Hindu temples have often kept their own elephants, indicating a deep-rooted human-elephant co-existence.
Unfortunately, Sri Lankan elephants face threats from human encroachment2, land mines, and occasional ivory poaching. With high elephant mortality rates, an annual average of 370 deaths were recorded in recent years.
Indian elephants can grow up to 9.8 feet and weigh 11,000 pounds. They are darker than the previous subspecies, with some lighter on their skin.
The Indian elephant holds significant symbolic stature throughout Asia, particularly in India, Thailand, and Laos. Revered in various religious traditions, they're often seen as deities symbolizing strength and wisdom. They serve as national animals in Thailand and Laos and as a national heritage animal in India.
The Sumatran Elephant lives in the lush rainforests of Sumatra. They can reach up to 10.5 feet and 8,800 pounds. Their skin is lighter than the two previous subspecies and has the least depigmentation.
Borneo Pygmy Elephants are the smallest subspecies of Asian elephants, standing up to 9.8 feet. They live in Southeast Asia's rainforests, particularly on Borneo Island. These elephants have rounder faces, oversized ears, and a tail that often brush the forest floor.
China's wandering elephants may finally be heading home
Assa · 2023 ago
China's wandering elephants may finally be heading home
Updated At: Aug 09, 2021 05:07 PM
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Pic for representational purpose only. iStock
Beijing, Aug 9
An elephant herd that fascinated locals and people around the world by making a yearlong journey into urbanized southwest China, raiding farms and even a retirement home for food, appears finally to be headed home. Local authorities have deployed trucks, workers and drones to monitor the elephants, evacuated roads for them to pass safely and used food to steer them away from populated areas. Despite their entrance into villages and a close approach to the Yunnan provincial capital of Kunming, no animals or humans have been injured.
Username: Assa
Published: Sun 31 March 2024 06:57 AM
Code number: BOXNUMBER1
Elephant Family
Assa · 2023 ago
How Many Elephants Are There In The World?
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Elephants are large animal species classified as mammals; they are from the Elephantidae family. Elephants are grouped into two broad species; the Asian elephant and the African elephant. The number of elephants in the world has been quickly declining over the past several decades. Today, there are estimated to be approximately 440,000 elephants left in the world.
Username: Assa
Published: Sun 31 March 2024 06:57 AM
Code number: BOXNUMBER1
হাতীশূড়:-
পুরনো দালান ঘেঁষে কিংবা রাস্তার ধারে অন্য আগাছার মাঝে এ গাছটি দেখা যায়। এ গাছের বাঁকানো পুষ্পদণ্ডে ফুটে থাকে সাদা সাদা ফুল। গজদন্ত অর্থাৎ হাতির দাঁতের মতো শুভ্র এই ফুল।গাছটি আগাছার সঙ্গে এখানে সেখানে জন্মায় তাই সাধারণের দৃষ্টি এড়িয়ে যায়। মোটামুটি এক দেড় ফুট লম্বা হয়। গাছের কাণ্ড ফাঁপা, নরম। সারা দেহে ছোট ছোট রোম আছে। গাছের ওপরের দিকের কাণ্ড চৌকো, নিচের দিকে অপেক্ষাকৃত গোলাকার। সংস্কৃত নাম শ্রীহস্তিনী।
বৈজ্ঞানিক নাম হেলিওট্রোপিয়াম ইনডিকাম Heliotropium indicum, এবং ইংরেজি নাম 'Indian heliotrope'।
হাতিশুর গাছের উপকারিতা:
(১)দেহে ছত্রাকজনিত সংক্রমণে লাল চাকা চাকা দাগ নিরাময়ে এর পাতার রস ব্যবহার করা হয়।
(২)ফোলায় পাতা বেঁটে অল্প গরম করে ফোলায় লাগালে, ফোলা কমে যায়।
(৩) জ্বর ও কাশিতে এই গাছের মূল জলের সঙ্গে ফুটিয়ে ক্বাথও তৈরি করে ব্যবহার করা হয়।
(৪) বিষাক্ত পোকার কামড়ে – পাতার রস লাগালে জ্বালা এবং ফোলা কমে যায়।
(৫) আঘাতজনিত ফোলায় – পাতা বেঁটে অল্প গরম করে লাগালে, ফোলা এবং ব্যাথা কমে যায়।
(৬)যাদের সর্দি লাগবে তারা এই হাতিশুড়ের পাতা সেচে দুই চামচ পরিমাণ রস খেতে পারেন এতে করে আপনার সর্দি ভাল হবে।
(৭)টাইফয়েড জ্বরে: টাইফয়েড রোগে এই উদ্ভিদটির পাতা হতে পারে কার্যকরী সমাধান। এর পাতার রস হালকা গরম করে পানিতে মিশিয়ে খেলে টাইফয়েড ভাল হয়।
(৮) একজিমা:একজিমা থেকে মুক্তি পেতে হাতিশুড় গাছের পাতা থেতলে আক্রান্ত স্থানে দিন।এভাবে কিছুদিন ব্যবহারে একজিমা সেরে যাবে।
(৯)রিউম্যাটিক বাতে: রেড়ির তেলের সঙ্গে পাতার রস মিশিয়ে পাক করে গাঁটে লাগাতে হয়।
(১০) দাঁতের মাড়ি ফোলায়:দাঁতের মাড়ি ফোলা রোগে আক্রান্ত ব্যক্তি হাতিশুরের মূল চিবালে মাড়ি ফোলা কমে যায়।
১১)কাটা ছেঁড়া: কাটা ছেঁড়া স্থানে হাতিশুরের পাতা থেতলে রস দিতে হবে এতে কাটা ছেঁড়া ঘুচে যাবে।
(১২)ব্রন: ব্রন হলে বা এর দাগ হয়ে গেলে হাতিশুঁড় গাছের পাতা ও তার কচি ডাল থেঁতো করে দুপুরে গোসল করতে যাবার ১ঘন্টা আগে ব্রণের ওপর প্রলেপ দিলে ব্রণ সারে এবং নতুন করে আর ব্রণ হয় না।
(১৪)ফ্যারিঞ্জাইটিস রোগে – পাতার রস অল্প গরম জলে মিশিয়ে গার্গল করা।
(সংগ্রিহীত পোস্ট) #Publish #ThePublish
Code number: MYBESTFLOW
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