The Asian Elephant By: Mindy Molina, Jessica Van, Liz Serna, and Kristin Ricks.

Common Name: Asian Elephant Latin Name: Elephas maximus Classification: Kingdom= Animalia Phylum= Chordate Class= Mammalia Order= Proboscidea Family= Elephantidae Genus= Elephas Species= Elephas maximus

Life Cycle/Life Span The life cycle of the elephant is remarkably similar to that of an average human being. Live to about 60 - 70 years Look after the orphaned baby if the mother dies. Can bear young at age 16+. Are fully grown at 20 years old. Are in their working prime between 20-40. Begin to slow down at 40. Are on light duties only when they reach 50.

Asian Elephants place on Trophic Hierarchy Primary consumer (Herbivore) 2nd on Hierarchy level   3rd Trophic level Asian Elephant/ 2nd Trophic level Producer/1st Trophic level

Where do Asian Elephants live? Asia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indochina, and parts of Nepal and Indonesia. Perferred Habitat? - Forest areas

Interaction with other organisms Asian Elephants don't  have a problem with interacting with other organisms. They are usually in large herds, so they never feel attacked. Organims that depend on Asian Elephants for survival Adult Asian Elephants have no natural predeotors, but young elephants may fall prey to tigers. Organisms that Asian Elephants depend on for survival Asian Elephants are herbivores, so therefore, they depend on grass, trees, leaves, shurbs. Their diet varies from acacia trees to wild mangos. It will basically eat any type of fruit.

Food Web Tiger Asian Elephants Monkeys Grass Trees Shrubs Leaves Mangos

If Removed from their community, how would they be effected?

Past-Present

Habitat Loss This is the biggest threat to the continuing survival of the Asian elephants. The main cause of the lost of the natural forest that elephants require to survive is pressure from human population growth. The clearance of land has not only resulted in large net losses of territory but also the fragmentation of habitat. This fragmentation breaks up wild populations into herds and groups that are often too small to be viable. The breaking up of elephant population also leads to inbreeding and the loss of the necessary genetic diversity to sustain population viability over the long term. Cultivation, irrigation canals, and dams have already blocked many traditional migratory pathways fragmenting the once wide-ranging elephant population into smaller and more isolated groups.

Preservation YouTube - The Asian Elephant - Human Population