The heaviest land Animal Alive
Asian Elephants
Asian Elephants
The Asian elephants' scientific name is the Elephas Maximas They are the largest land animal alive on earth today. They are also related to the extinct mammoths, African savanna elephants, and the African forest elephants. Elephants live in forest and grassland areas in warm areas. Asian elephants live in India, Sri Lanka Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China and Vietnam. In the past, Asian elephants have been found to lived in East Iraq all the way to south of the Himalayas and possibly into south Java.
Asian Elephant Biology.
This type of elephants grows up to 21 feet long and 10 feet high and they can weight up to 11,000 pounds. These elephant skin color rang from grey to brown. Asian Elephants have thick and wrinkle skin that are not very hairy. Asian elephants in the wild can live up to sixty years old but most do not live that long. Asian Elephants are herbivores and they eat a wide variety of vegetation like hay, fruit, grass, tree bark and a lot more things. This elephant species have smaller ears then the African forest and Savannah elephants. An elephant's trunk is actually an extension of it's nose and upper lip. Asian elephants have five toenails on their front feet and only four on their back feet.
Elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand
People are riding elephants in this picture. The elephants are going to help lift the log together.
Did You Know?
Did you know, that elephants contain about 100,000 different muscles in their trunks.
Did you know that elephants occasionally kill people
Did you know that elephants occasionally kill people
History
Centuries of elephants being hunted for their tusks has caused them to decline in their population but today, thanks to a global ivory ban since 1989, Elephants now live in large reserves and as well as in human habitats. Asian elephants have been used in past wars like the war between Ptolemaios IV and Anthiochus II when Asian elephants were fighting African elephants. This creatures have been domesticated for thousands of years.
Bibliography
National Zoo.com
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/asianelephants/factasianelephant.cfmthis website contains infomation about endangered animals
http://library.thinkquest.org/27257/asianelephant.html
http://school.eb.com/all/elementary/article?articleId=353093&query=asian%20elephants&ct=null
National geographic magazine
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/asian-elephant/
http://www.elephant.se/elephant_training_history.php?open=Elephant%20training