The Critical Six
While most people know that elephants exist in the wild on two different continents, most of us aren't aware that there are actually four different species of pachyderms alive today. I've created a complete list of the different elephant species, including what they look like, what makes them unique and why they're endangered.
African Subspecies
African elephants face problems like droughts, limited food sources, poaching and human-elephant conflict. While their fight for space isn't quite as dramatic as that of their Asian cousins, African elephants have been shot for encroaching on farmers' land and eating their crops. The largest group of African elephants is the savanna species, since forest and desert elephants live in secluded areas with less human contact. While it makes it a bit easier to survive, it also makes it harder to study these species, so less is known about the more obscure African groups.
Savanna
Also called the African Bush elephant, this species is the largest, the most well-known, and the least endangered of all elephant species. When you think of an elephant, this is what you think of: large ears, long tusks, broad backs and long tails. African savanna elephants are so classified (like all elephant species) based on where they live. For more details on the African savanna species, see my post below.
Out of all elephant species, savanna elephants are the ones who are being poached at the greatest numbers, both because there are more of them and because their tusks are longer. While Africa used to host over 1 million elephants just 60 years ago, there are less than 300,000 left today.
How you can help: encourage ivory bans and support organizations working to protect this species!
Forest
This species are a lot like their savanna cousins, but are smaller and live (as you may have guessed) in the forest. It has a few other minor differences in appearance to the savanna species, but its greatest difference is that it's more endangered. While all species of elephant are threatened by poaching, forest elephants are the second-most endangered pachyderms on the planet.
African forest elephants live more in Central Africa and have a smaller migration route, while their savanna cousins can be found in both Central and Southern Africa.
How you can help: support organizations that work to protect forest elephants.
Desert
I learned about these elephants very recently, and at first I didn't believe they exist. However, after doing some research, I realize that this elephant species is so secret because it's so threatened. Desert elephants are just like savanna elephants, but with longer legs and shorter tusks. But even with less ivory on their bodies, they're targeted by poachers. These desert elephants live in Mali, and have the longest migration route of all elephant species. There are only two herds left, and of those, 16 were killed by poachers in Jan. 2016 alone.
How you can help: spread the word about this species, and contribute to their cause!
Asian Subspecies
There are three subspecies of elephant that lives in Asia, and their appearances differ greatly from their African cousins. Asian elephants are generally smaller by about 1 to 2 tons and have smaller ears and a double-domed head (see the photo below). I have also heard that Asian elephants are more like cats, with a feistier personality than African pachyderms, but since more Asian elephants were used in circuses, I'm not sure how much credit to give that rumor.
Like all elephant species, Asians are critically endangered, but poaching is only one of their problems. Asians suffer from habitat destruction, human-elephant conflict and unemployment. They are more heavily used in industries like logging and peat, so if they lose their job they often starve to death, or die from injuries sustained during work. Asian elephants also live a lot closer to humans, so they tend to be seen as a great nuisance to farmers, whose whole field of crops could become a single meal for an adult pachyderm.
Sri Lankan
The Sri Lankan elephants are the largest of the Asian cousins, with the darkest skin color. They also have large patches of depigmentation (no skin color) on parts of their bodies, and only 7 percent of the bulls grow tusks. Like all other elephant species, they are critically endangered after losing over 65 percent of their population within the last century, and only about 4,000-5,000 exist today in the wild. Sri Lankan elephants are so endangered because of deforestation and human-elephant conflict.
How you can help: If funds permit it, travel to Sri Lanka and visit a park where wild elephants roam, or find an organization to support.
Indian
Indian elephants are the most populous pachyderms in Asia. Their populations make up 50 to 60 percent of all elephants in Asia, and they have the widest range. While male Indian elephants do grow tusks, females do not. The Indian subspecies has the largest skull size of all elephant species, and their trunks are longer than their African cousins, with a "one-fingered" trunk.
How you can help: Support elephant sanctuaries in Asia and volunteer with conservation groups working to save the wild population.
Sumatran
Sumatran elephants are the smallest of the Asian species, and perhaps of all pachyderm groups. They have the lightest skin coloring and, like the Indian elephant, have a one-fingered trunk. They share many characteristics with the other Asian subspecies, including their reasons for being endangered. Because both humans and elephants are demanding more and more of the forests, it's hard to reach a compromise (after all, how can you tell a bull elephant where the line is?)
How you can help: Support anti-deforestation efforts in Asia so that Sumatran elephants have a place to live.
African Subspecies
African elephants face problems like droughts, limited food sources, poaching and human-elephant conflict. While their fight for space isn't quite as dramatic as that of their Asian cousins, African elephants have been shot for encroaching on farmers' land and eating their crops. The largest group of African elephants is the savanna species, since forest and desert elephants live in secluded areas with less human contact. While it makes it a bit easier to survive, it also makes it harder to study these species, so less is known about the more obscure African groups.
Savanna
Also called the African Bush elephant, this species is the largest, the most well-known, and the least endangered of all elephant species. When you think of an elephant, this is what you think of: large ears, long tusks, broad backs and long tails. African savanna elephants are so classified (like all elephant species) based on where they live. For more details on the African savanna species, see my post below.
Out of all elephant species, savanna elephants are the ones who are being poached at the greatest numbers, both because there are more of them and because their tusks are longer. While Africa used to host over 1 million elephants just 60 years ago, there are less than 300,000 left today.
How you can help: encourage ivory bans and support organizations working to protect this species!
Forest
This species are a lot like their savanna cousins, but are smaller and live (as you may have guessed) in the forest. It has a few other minor differences in appearance to the savanna species, but its greatest difference is that it's more endangered. While all species of elephant are threatened by poaching, forest elephants are the second-most endangered pachyderms on the planet.
African forest elephants live more in Central Africa and have a smaller migration route, while their savanna cousins can be found in both Central and Southern Africa.
How you can help: support organizations that work to protect forest elephants.
Desert
I learned about these elephants very recently, and at first I didn't believe they exist. However, after doing some research, I realize that this elephant species is so secret because it's so threatened. Desert elephants are just like savanna elephants, but with longer legs and shorter tusks. But even with less ivory on their bodies, they're targeted by poachers. These desert elephants live in Mali, and have the longest migration route of all elephant species. There are only two herds left, and of those, 16 were killed by poachers in Jan. 2016 alone.
How you can help: spread the word about this species, and contribute to their cause!
Asian Subspecies
There are three subspecies of elephant that lives in Asia, and their appearances differ greatly from their African cousins. Asian elephants are generally smaller by about 1 to 2 tons and have smaller ears and a double-domed head (see the photo below). I have also heard that Asian elephants are more like cats, with a feistier personality than African pachyderms, but since more Asian elephants were used in circuses, I'm not sure how much credit to give that rumor.
Like all elephant species, Asians are critically endangered, but poaching is only one of their problems. Asians suffer from habitat destruction, human-elephant conflict and unemployment. They are more heavily used in industries like logging and peat, so if they lose their job they often starve to death, or die from injuries sustained during work. Asian elephants also live a lot closer to humans, so they tend to be seen as a great nuisance to farmers, whose whole field of crops could become a single meal for an adult pachyderm.
Sri Lankan
The Sri Lankan elephants are the largest of the Asian cousins, with the darkest skin color. They also have large patches of depigmentation (no skin color) on parts of their bodies, and only 7 percent of the bulls grow tusks. Like all other elephant species, they are critically endangered after losing over 65 percent of their population within the last century, and only about 4,000-5,000 exist today in the wild. Sri Lankan elephants are so endangered because of deforestation and human-elephant conflict.
How you can help: If funds permit it, travel to Sri Lanka and visit a park where wild elephants roam, or find an organization to support.
Indian
Indian elephants are the most populous pachyderms in Asia. Their populations make up 50 to 60 percent of all elephants in Asia, and they have the widest range. While male Indian elephants do grow tusks, females do not. The Indian subspecies has the largest skull size of all elephant species, and their trunks are longer than their African cousins, with a "one-fingered" trunk.
How you can help: Support elephant sanctuaries in Asia and volunteer with conservation groups working to save the wild population.
Sumatran
Sumatran elephants are the smallest of the Asian species, and perhaps of all pachyderm groups. They have the lightest skin coloring and, like the Indian elephant, have a one-fingered trunk. They share many characteristics with the other Asian subspecies, including their reasons for being endangered. Because both humans and elephants are demanding more and more of the forests, it's hard to reach a compromise (after all, how can you tell a bull elephant where the line is?)
How you can help: Support anti-deforestation efforts in Asia so that Sumatran elephants have a place to live.
"[Elephants] are so very beautiful and really gentle. If you have a chance to get close to the elephant and you can...watch them and touch them...that is happiness."
-Benjasiri Wattana, Thai Actress
Telling the Two Apart
African elephant. Photo courtesy of IFAW.
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Asian Elephant.
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Asian elephants have gentle arching backs.
It's easy to spot an elephant (come on, they're the biggest living things on land), but can you tell the differences between an African elephant and the Asian cousin? Here's a quick guide to help you:
1. The size. Generally, African elephants are large than Asians, weighing anywhere from 1-3 more tons and standing 1-3 meters taller. Although if you look at the Louisville Zoo's two elephants (one African, one Asian), the opposite is true.
2. The ears. Africans have large ears. The difference in ear size makes biological sense when you compare the African climate to that of Asia. African plains are drier and can be hotter, which means African elephants would need to use their ears to cool down more than Asian elephants, who live mostly in forests.
3. The head. Asian elephants have a "double dome" head, which Africans have a "single dome" head.
4. The back. Asian elephants' backs are a gentle arch, which is the highest point of their body. Africans, however, have a saddle-shaped back that arches closer to the tail. The highest point of their body is their shoulders.
5. The trunk. Asian's trunks have one "finger" at the end of their trunk, which allows them to grab things like grass to eat. Africans, however, have two, which allows them to more easily grasp leaves, which make up a large portion of their diet.
6. The tusks. It's pretty obvious that African elephants have longer tusks, which like the ears are more necessary for surviving in their climate. While Africans use their tusks for digging, sharpening, poking and sparring, Asians use them mostly for showing off. In fact, only male Asian elephants have full-grown tusks; females have small projections called tushes, which can only be seen when they raise their trunk.
While there are other small details that distinguish these two species (tooth shape, skin texture, body hair and number of toenails), these six can help you tell which elephant you're looking at.
1. The size. Generally, African elephants are large than Asians, weighing anywhere from 1-3 more tons and standing 1-3 meters taller. Although if you look at the Louisville Zoo's two elephants (one African, one Asian), the opposite is true.
2. The ears. Africans have large ears. The difference in ear size makes biological sense when you compare the African climate to that of Asia. African plains are drier and can be hotter, which means African elephants would need to use their ears to cool down more than Asian elephants, who live mostly in forests.
3. The head. Asian elephants have a "double dome" head, which Africans have a "single dome" head.
4. The back. Asian elephants' backs are a gentle arch, which is the highest point of their body. Africans, however, have a saddle-shaped back that arches closer to the tail. The highest point of their body is their shoulders.
5. The trunk. Asian's trunks have one "finger" at the end of their trunk, which allows them to grab things like grass to eat. Africans, however, have two, which allows them to more easily grasp leaves, which make up a large portion of their diet.
6. The tusks. It's pretty obvious that African elephants have longer tusks, which like the ears are more necessary for surviving in their climate. While Africans use their tusks for digging, sharpening, poking and sparring, Asians use them mostly for showing off. In fact, only male Asian elephants have full-grown tusks; females have small projections called tushes, which can only be seen when they raise their trunk.
While there are other small details that distinguish these two species (tooth shape, skin texture, body hair and number of toenails), these six can help you tell which elephant you're looking at.
"If elephants disappear from the wild, two countries will largely be to blame-the U.S. and China..."
-Kate Gibson, CBS News
Love elephants, love everyone
Did you know supporting elephant conservation supports the rescue of other animals?
It may seem surprising, but many organizations dedicated to saving elephants have, along the way, saved many other animals, including dogs, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, impalas and more.
I recently discovered a story about the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, which serves as a sanctuary and rescue center for elephants in Asia. The park recently blogged about a recent need for volunteers, not to work with elephants, but to care for the canine inhabitants of the park.
Yes, you read that right. Dogs are living with elephants in Thailand. In fact, the canine group has grown as the organization rescued dogs stranded or injured during floods. Today the population has multiplied to dozens of dogs, and I'm sure several have become pachyderm companions.
It seems the love of one species spreads to a love and active involvement in others. Take the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, for example. The organization has done wonderful work in saving multiple animals from trappers' snares through their Mobile Vet unit, which patrols an area in Kenya for poacher traps. The organization also has a well-established elephant orphanage that not only houses orphaned elephants, but has also rescued ostriches, rhinos, zebras and giraffes.
By supporting elephant organizations, we are supporting animal and earth conservation at large. There is no separating the impact elephants have on their environment and neighbor species. To reference Lion King, we're all part of the Circle of Life, and our work in one area affects many others.
Therefore, I encourage you to join me in supporting elephant conservation in Africa, to change not just a species, but an earth.
It may seem surprising, but many organizations dedicated to saving elephants have, along the way, saved many other animals, including dogs, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, lions, cheetahs, impalas and more.
I recently discovered a story about the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, which serves as a sanctuary and rescue center for elephants in Asia. The park recently blogged about a recent need for volunteers, not to work with elephants, but to care for the canine inhabitants of the park.
Yes, you read that right. Dogs are living with elephants in Thailand. In fact, the canine group has grown as the organization rescued dogs stranded or injured during floods. Today the population has multiplied to dozens of dogs, and I'm sure several have become pachyderm companions.
It seems the love of one species spreads to a love and active involvement in others. Take the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, for example. The organization has done wonderful work in saving multiple animals from trappers' snares through their Mobile Vet unit, which patrols an area in Kenya for poacher traps. The organization also has a well-established elephant orphanage that not only houses orphaned elephants, but has also rescued ostriches, rhinos, zebras and giraffes.
By supporting elephant organizations, we are supporting animal and earth conservation at large. There is no separating the impact elephants have on their environment and neighbor species. To reference Lion King, we're all part of the Circle of Life, and our work in one area affects many others.
Therefore, I encourage you to join me in supporting elephant conservation in Africa, to change not just a species, but an earth.
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