How to tell the difference between different types of elephants
- Mary Schettler
- May 21, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: May 21, 2022
When you visit the zoo, what kinds of animals do you hope to see? Lions? Tigers? Bears? I know! You hope to see some elephants, right?! Elephants are the largest existing land animals and are characterized by their large tusks and trunks. Not only that, their brains are huge, allowing them to hold long term memories. They also form deep family bonds and connections within their herds. Quite amazing aren't they?
Currently, there are 3 species of elephants in the world, with subspecies under Asian elephants, which are Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan. The 3 main species are: African Bush Elephant, African Forest Elephant, and Asian Elephants.
African Bush Elephants
The African bush elephants are the largest of the elephant species. They are characterized by their flappy ears that resemble the shape of the African continent. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has the African bush elephant listed under "endangered", due to primary threats of poaching, habitat loss, and direct conflict with humans.
African Forest Elephants
African Forest Elephants were considered for many years to be a subspecies to the African bush elephant, but scientists discovered that they are in fact their own species. They are also smaller in size than the African bush elephants, and their ears possess a more oval shape to it. In addition to being smaller, forest elephants are darker and their tusks are straighter and point downward. The forest elephants have a slower reproductive rate, so the population can't recover as quickly as other species can from outside forces.
Asian Elephants
On the Asian continent, elephants have been revered in various parts and in various ways in their cultures and religions. Asian elephants can be found in large areas of India and Southeast Asia. They are considered to be forest animals, though they inhabit dry to wet forest and grassland habitats
A large number of male Asian elephants are tuskless. Which is quite different from their African elephant counterparts who both males and females possess tusks. The female Asian elephants that have tusks are called tushes.
Asian elephants have 3 subspecies along the continent. Sumatran elephants are the smallest subspecies of Asian elephants and are native to Sumatra Island in Indonesia. Because of their island environment they are especially affected by deforestation and human development; they are currently listed as "critically endangered".
Indian elephants occupy the largest areas of land of Asian elephants. Also, Indian elephants possess incredibly long tails compared to the other subspecies. The Indian elephants have in recent years have come into increasingly more conflict with humans as they search for alternative food sources. Because of their large stature, they can cause farmers destruction of their livelihoods at their agricultural operations. As a result of these "raids", elephants are often killed in retaliation.
Sri Lankan Elephants are physically the largest Asian elephant subspecies but still smaller than African elephants. Geographically, they are limited to the island of Sri Lanka; their exclusive habitat makes them vulnerable to human expansion across the island. Since the males of this species also rarely posses tusks they are less appealing to ivory poachers.
Similarities and Differences
Quite a lot of information, isn't it? There are many different characteristics between the species of elephants that many people miss when they go to see them at zoos. But even the different species have similar physiologies and will also behave in similar ways.
Elephants have also clear and distinct social groups formed around a matriarch. The herd or clans consists mostly of females that will work together to take care of their young and babies. Males are typically solitary in nature once they leave their family units, though they are known to form unstable groups with other bulls. This nomadic lifestyle actually allows the species to maximize their reproductive potential by having bulls traveling to other family units to find females.
Physiologically speaking, elephant skin thickness can reach up to 1.5 inches all along their bodies. Despite the thickness, their skin is incredibly sensitive due to a rich nerve supply. When you observe elephants, at the zoo or in the wild, you'll see that elephants regularly cover themselves with dirt and mud as a way to protect their sensitive skin.
A clear way to distinguish between African and Asian elephants species typically lies in the size of their ears. Because generally speaking, the size of their ears is related to the amount of heat passed through them and their geographic location. African bush elephants are located directly on the Savanna and need their larger ears to aid in regulating their temperatures, unlike the Asian Elephants who live in a more forest-type areas. The action of flapping their ears helps to cool their bodies and circulate their cooled down blood through the veins in their ears.
I bet you didn't think you'd learn this much about elephants, huh? Although what I have shared here is small compared to all the things you can learn about elephants. In the animal kingdom, there is never-ending trove of information to gather about your favorite animals or discovering brand new animals. Zoo's provide safe places for people to view and learn more about their favorite animals. If you'd like to learn more about animals and zoos, come back and check out our other content.
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