Elephants
Elephants are represented by three living species: African forest, African bush and Asian. As the largest living mammals in the world, healthy adults have no natural predators, though the calves have plenty to fear from lions and tigers. The elephant's distinctive trunk is very versatile and can perform the functions of hand, foot and nose. Their large ears also play an important role in regulating body temperature. Elephants are highly social and very intelligent animals.
Genus
African elephant (Loxodonta)African elephants were thought to be one species until very recently. What were previously thought to be subspecies are now categorised as the bush, or savannah, elephant and the forest elephant.
Elephas
Asian elephant (species)
Earth News
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Scientists map elephant evolution
Scientists say they have calculated the date at which the African and the Asian elephant went their separate ways.
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Indian elephants to go from zoos
The Central Zoo Authority in India has confirmed to the BBC that zoos and circuses in the country will no longer be allowed to keep elephants.
About
Elephantidae is a taxonomic family, collectively elephants and mammoths. These are terrestrial large mammals with a trunk and tusks. Most genera and species in the family are extinct. Only two genera, Loxodonta (African elephants) and Elephas (Asiatic elephants), are living.
The family was first described by John Edward Gray in 1821, and later assigned to taxonomic ranks within the order of Proboscidea. Elephantidae has also been revised by various authors to include or exclude other extinct proboscidean genera.
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Elsewhere on the web
- Elephantidae (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu)
- Inside Nature's Giants: elephants (channel4.com)
- Differences between African and Indian elephants (eleaid.com)
- Asian and Indian elephant conservation (elephantconservation.org)
- Elephant conservation (worldwildlife.org)
- Elephantidae (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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