The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is one of three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant. Its population is now largely restricted to the dry zone in the north, east and southeast of Sri Lanka. In the past, Sri Lankan elephants were quite common and widely distributed across the tear-shaped island, located at the edge of India’s southern tip. Currently, they face habitat loss and degradation of their natural habitat and in addition, they are now unable to follow their migratory routes as a result of human development.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withSri Lankan elephants are the largest subspecies and have 19 pairs of ribs. Their skin colour is darker with larger and more distinct patches of depigmentation on ears, face, trunk and belly. Only 7% of males bear tusks. Average adult elephant tusks grow up to about 1.8 m (6 feet). In general, Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants and have the highest body point on the head. The tip of their trunk has one finger-like process. Their back is convex or level. Females are usually smaller than males.
The range of this species is limited to Sri Lanka Island off the southern coast of India, where a small population of these elephants inhabit a natural reserve called the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary. Sri Lankan elephants are found in different habitats including grasslands, dry and moist forests, dry thorn forest, montane forests, scrublands, flooded grasslands and cultivated areas.
Sri Lankan elephants are highly social animals. They are known to form matriarchal herds of 12-20 individuals. These social units consist of related females and are led by the oldest female. There are 2 types of herds: nursing units, made up of lactating females and their offspring; and juvenile care units, composed of females and juveniles. These elephants are migratory animals, traveling strict routes between the wet and dry seasons, determined by the monsoon season. While migrating, the oldest member of the herd usually remembers the route and guides the group on their way. They are active both day and night, but many of them sleep under large trees in the daytime. Like all Asian elephants, the Sri Lankan subspecies communicates using visual, acoustic and chemical signals. At least fourteen different vocal and acoustic signals have been described, which include some low-frequency calls that contain infrasonic frequencies.
Sri Lankan elephants are herbivores (graminivores, folivores, frugivores, granivores). They mainly consume grasses, leaves, shoots, fruits, nuts, seeds, and other vegetation.
There is no exact information about the mating system of Sri Lankan elephants, although their close relatives, Asian elephants, are polygynous. These animals can mate at any time of the year. Gestation period lasts for 22 months, yielding a single baby, which weighs approximately 100 kg. The newborn elephant is usually cared by both its mother and other females of the herd, which are called 'aunties'. Calves live with their mothers for up to 5 years, after which they are independent. Males disperse, whereas females continue living with the herd. Females of this species become reproductively mature at 10 years of age, producing offspring with intervals of 4-6 years.
The biggest threat to the population of this subspecies is the loss of their forest habitat, which is currently being cleared due to agricultural development and expansion of human settlements throughout the island. The Sri Lankan elephant is known to favor crops and fruits, grown by humans such as sugar cane or bananas. This factor, combined with deforestation, leads to conflicts between elephants and humans, resulting in the destruction of property as well as mortality among both parties, where a population of these elephants in the wild reduces by 6% every year.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total number of Sri Lankan elephants’ population is 5,879 individuals. Presently, this subspecies is not included in the IUCN Red List and its conservation status has not been evaluated.
Elephant domestication in Sri Lanka has a rather long history, starting with the times of Sinhalese Kings, who kept these animals for military purposes as well as demonstration of their monarchical power. Some chieftains, who would capture elephants for the Sinhala kings, were permitted to keep 1-2 elephants themselves. In the course of time, the tradition of elephant domestication was continued by the Portuguese and the Dutch, reaching our time. Currently, these animals are still privately kept for different purposes such as logging, construction, tourism, ceremonies, or temple work.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...