Elephants. Asian elephant Small ears High vertical forehead Females tuskless Proportion of tuskless males varies Loxodonta African elephant Large ears.

Elephants

ElephantsAsian elephant

Small earsHigh vertical foreheadFemales tusklessProportion of tuskless males varies

LoxodontaAfrican elephant

Large earsReceding forehead

Both sexes usually have tusks

Uses of the trunkUses of the trunk As a toolAs a tool

Grazing & browsingGrazing & browsing Manipulating objectsManipulating objects Moving waterMoving water

As a sense organAs a sense organ TouchTouch SmellSmell

As a social-signaling organAs a social-signaling organ A trumpet that amplifies vocalizationsA trumpet that amplifies vocalizations A bearer of visual signalsA bearer of visual signals A touch-communicatorA touch-communicator

Distribution of Asian elephantElephas maximus

South AsiaSoutheast

Asia

Sumatra

Borneo

Extinct

Mesopotamiaand Syria?

S.E.China

Java(10th century)

African bush elephantLoxodonta africana

Open areas in Africa south of SaharaFormerly slopes of Atlas Mountains

(tamed by Carthaginians)Still in Eritrea

(tamed by Ptolemaic Egyptians, ca. 250 B.C.)

African forest elephantLoxodonta cyclotisAfrican rainforest

Small sizeRound ears

Thin straight tusks

Gangala na Bodio

Catching Indian elephants Catching Indian elephants the last Keddah (Mysore, 1970s)the last Keddah (Mysore, 1970s)

1The tame elephants set out

2The wild elephant herd

that is destined to be caught

3The tame elephants return to the keddah- One of the converging fences seen in background

4The keddah

People come from miles around to watch

5The tame elephants and the wild herd approach the keddah

6The elephants have all entered

the keddah, and the gate has been shut behind them

7 and 8The wild herd is inside the keddah; the tame elephants are herding them towards the sides where they will be roped or trapped

9A wild elephant has been roped by a mahout who has jumped down

10Oher wild

elephants are separated into

holding compartments

11A newly caught young bull is led away between two tame elephants

12A newly caught

cow and calf are led away between two

tame elephants

13Newly caught elephants being taken for their first bath. This has a calming effect

14The newly

caught cow and calf being taken from the

water after their bath

Value of elephants in Asian culture Value of elephants in Asian culture and economyand economy

LoggingChiangmai, Thailand

CeremonialColombo, Sri Lanka

56-year-old bull elephant in musth56-year-old bull elephant in musthnear Kandy, Sri Lankanear Kandy, Sri Lanka

chained to treechained to tree

War elephants, 250-200 War elephants, 250-200 B.C.B.C.

Indian elephants

African elephants

CarthaginianSpain, before Second Punic War218 B.C.

King Demetrius of Bactria

with symbolic elephant helmet

250 B.C.

Seleucus I293-281 B.C.

Tame African elephants Tame African elephants todaytoday

Forest elephants Gangala na Bodio 1950s

Bush elephantsOkavango

2002