The Four Elephant Species
Two Species Separated from the Asian and African Elephants
Four species of elephant are recognized as DNA shows two species are different from the Asian and African. All are endangered largely due to habitat destruction and loss.
Until recently elephants were subdivided into an Asian and an African species with two African subspecies and four Asian subspecies. Genetic analysis has determined that one subspecies from each is actually a separate species, The Borneo Pygmy elephant is not an Asian elephant and the Forest elephant of Africa is not the same as the Savannah elephant. But all four species are endangered as human encroachment along with habitat destruction and loss reduce their original range.
There are some obvious differences between Asian and African elephants:
- The ears-The African elephants have extremely large ears which have been likened in shape to the continent of Africa and the smaller Asian elephantears are said to be in the shape of the Indian subcontinent
- The tusks-Only male Asian elephants have obvious external tusks, whereas in Africa all elephants have tusks, although technically in females they are called tushes.
- The trunk-The Asian elephant has one semi-prehensile ‘finger’ to its trunk whereas the African elephant has two.
The three subspecies of Asian elephant are:
- Sri Lankan Elephant(Elephas maximus maximus): This is the largest of the Asian elephants. Population is estimated at somewhere between 3,000 and 4,500. In the wild it is largely a forest inhabitant.
- Sumatran Elephant (Elaphas maximus sumatranus): The smallest of the Asians, the Sumatran has a long history of working for humans. Their population is estimated at 2,500 to 3,250.
- Mainland or Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus): The remaining 21,000 to 25,000 wild Asian elephants are spread around India and Southeast Asia with a small remnant population in China.
In addition to the wild populations, approximately 15,000 elephants make up the Asian captive population, used in the timber industry, for tourist attractions and in religious and cultural activities.
The newly separated Asian species is:
Borneo pygmy (Elaphas maximus borneensis): With a population of less than 1500 animals, this new species is facing huge threats as palm oil plantations replace their traditional forest habitat. Like the Borneo Clouded Leopard, the Borneo pygmy elephant was named a separate species after genetic analysis revealed significant differences between them and other Asian elephants. Once assumed to be a remnant of a herd brought in from the mainland, they are now thought to have diverged as much as 300,000 years ago.
In Africa there are two species with a combined population estimated between 72,000 and 101,000 animals. Unlike India, Africa does not have a history of working elephants nor do they figure into cultural and religious activities. Captive elephants in Africa are generally utilised only in the tourist industry.
The two African species are:
- Savannah or bush elephant (Loxodonta africana): The largest of all the elephants, this is the one people picture when they think of elephants. The savannah elephant lives in the more open areas of the African bush.
- Forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis): This smaller species includes the so called African pygmy elephant, which is genetically indistinguishable from other forest elephants. It was separated from the Savannah elephant several years ago based on DNA differences.
