About
The Asian elephant is distributed from Bangladesh through India to Southeast Asia and inhabits tropical rainforests and grasslands, and sometimes farmland, at elevations up to about 3,000 m. It is characterized by a long trunk, tusks that may not be visible from the outside, and a massive body. It consumes large amounts of plant material daily and obtains nutrients through fermentation in the hindgut. It lives in small matriarchal groups that split and merge flexibly, and males leave the group after reaching maturity. Breeding occurs year-round but increases during the rainy season; gestation is long, and conservation is required due to declining population numbers.
