Do you like Elephants? Did you know that there are two species of elephants? They are the African elephant and the Asian elephant. Asian elephants are Asia’s largest land mammals. You can find a large number of Asian elephants in the grasslands and tropical forests of Southeast Asia. You will be learning all about these amazing creatures with all the fun Asian Elephant facts for kids below!
Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants. They are, however, nine feet tall. Asian elephants weigh around six tons. It weighs more than two medium-sized cars! The Asian elephant has three subspecies: the Indian, Sri Lankan, and Sumatran. The majority of the Asian elephants are found in the Indian subcontinent.
Asian elephants are very social animals! Keep reading to discover more information on Asian Elephant.
A Beautiful Asian Elephant in its natural habitat.
Asian Elephant Quick Facts
- Scientific Name: Elephas maximus
- Type: Mammals
- Size: 6.6 to 9.8 feet (Height at Shoulder Level)
- Weight: 2.25 to 5.5 tons
- Average Lifespan in the Wild: About 60 years
- Diet: Herbivore
- Habitat: Grassland and Forests in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Southeast Asia
Asian Elephant Facts For Kids
- Asian elephant uses its long trunk for breathing, digging, trumpeting, and stripping. Its robust and flexible trunk is made up of more than 40,000 muscles!
- Only Male elephants have tusks. These indicate the age of an elephant.
- In India, over half of the male Asian elephants do not have tusks known as Makhnas. It is a hereditary condition that led to this variation in its head and neck structure. Female Asian elephants have tushes instead of tusks.
- The Asian elephant’s brain is about four times bigger than your brain! Many people believe that Asian elephantsshas the largest brain among land mammals.
- The brain of Asian elephants develops similarly to that of humans. Asian elephants are said to be among the most intelligent land mammals.
- Asian elephants can eat around 300 pounds per day. That is about 75 times more than what you eat in a day!
- The diet of an Asian elephant generally consists of roots, fruit, bark, and grass.
- Asian elephants spend most of the day in search of food. They can travel up to 50 miles every day for food.
- Asian elephants love bathing in water. They fill water in trunks to spray it over their backs just like a shower.
- You can find Asian elephants closer to a freshwater source. It is because they have to drink fresh water once a day at least.
- When an Asian elephant dies, the other elephants conduct a death ritual. They gather around and cover it with sand and leaves.
Fun Facts About Asian Elephants: Video
Check out this interesting video I stumbled upon to learn some more fun and interesting facts about the Asian Elephant!
https://youtu.be/UM9z6TcLgsA
More Asian Elephant Facts For Kids
Asian elephants are very social animals. Female Asian elephants live in big herds with their offspring. The female with the most experience leads the elephant herd, mostly during migration.
Male Asian Elephants live alone after they hit puberty. They may also gather and travel with other bachelor Asian elephants.
Asian elephants communicate with each other through bellow, rumbles, and growls. You can sometimes hear them from more than a mile apart!
Check Out These Other Cool Animal Facts!
Asian Elephant Q&A
It’s now time for a little Asian Elephant Question and Answers session. Fulfill your curiosity with these answers to some of the common questions about Asian Elephants!
How Many Asian Elephants are Left?
The surviving numbers of Asian elephants are around 30,000 to 50,000. India has the most extensive range of surviving Asian Elephants. More than 50% of Asian elephants are found here.
Sri Lanka has a less population of Asian elephants. Sumatra has lost about 70% of the natural Asian Elephant habitat.
Asian elephants were found around most of Southeast Asia. They are now reduced to only 15% of the original range and are still declining.
Where Do Asian Elephants Live?
Asian Elephants live in the grasslands of Southeast Asia. They also inhabit the tropical and subtropical dry and wet broadleaf forests of this region.
You can find them in around 13 countries in Southeast Asia. These include India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and China.
During hot summers in India, Asian elephants move towards the cooler eastern Himalayas for up to 3,000 m above ground level.
What Do Asian Elephants Eat?
Asian elephants have to eat a minimum of 150kg every day for survival! They mostly eat grass. They also relish a lot of leaves, roots, stems, and barks.
Bananas, sugarcane, rice, and other cultivated crops are another favorite meal of Asian elephants.
Asian elephants spend most of their day searching for their meal. They can travel far distances of about 50 miles a day, only to look for food.
Why Are Asian Elephants Endangered?
The population of Asian elephants started decreasing rapidly with the demand for ivory in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the current times, the loss of their natural habitat is another major factor. With the increase in the human population, several forests and grasslands are converted for industrial and agricultural purposes. Asian Elephants are then left with no place to live.
Poaching and human-wildlife conflicts are other reasons for the endangerment of Asian Elephants. Due to this, the surviving Asian elephant populations are small and isolated. They are not able to mingle as their routes are blocked because of human settlement.
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Final Thoughts
I hope you have learned a lot about Asian Elephants with these interesting Asian Elephant facts for kids. Now that you know so much about them, would you also like to help them?
If you do want to help out Asian Elephants, please click on the link and see how you can make a difference in these amazing creatures life! Help Asian Elephants here!
Thank you for stopping by to learn all about Asian Elephants. If you would like to know many more interesting facts for kids, our website has plenty of them. Make sure to check them out and learn many fascinating facts.
