Many species of elephant once roamed the Earth. Today, they are limited to just two species in Africa and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). In India, the wild Asian elephant population is estimated to be 25,000-27,000. Weighing 3,000 kg, the Asian elephant differs from the African one in a number of ways: it's smaller, has a rounded back as opposed to the saddle-shaped back of the African, its trunk ends in one tip, not two, its ears are smaller and it has a two-domed forehead.

Only male Asian elephants have tusks, while females have small ?tushes?. The tusks are prized for ivory; hence many animals are driven to extinction. Some males (?makhnas?) are tuskless and can be distinguished from adult females by the penis bulge below the tail.

Elephants live in closely-knit family groups led by a matriarch. Adult males, however, are solitary and associate with the herd only for mating. All- male groups are occasionally seen. Elephants use a range of vocals to communicate, from tummy rumbles to low growls, infrasonic sounds and loud trumpeting.

Elephants migrate long distances in search of food, water and security, and use the same forest corridors for hundreds of years. If these corridors are blocked, they enter human settlements. Elephants are also attracted to crops in villages and to domestic alcoholic distilleries they are able to smell from miles away. The resulting conflict sadly often ends up cutting short the life of the elephant, which normally has a lifespan of 60 years.

Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips, hints, guide and points to ponder pertaining to traveling, do please browse at our websites.