Indian elephant
The Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) is one of three extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia.
Indian elephant Temporal range: Pleistocene – Recent | |
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Tusked male in Bandipur National Park | |
Female in Nagarhole National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Proboscidea |
Family: | Elephantidae |
Genus: | Elephas |
Species: | |
Subspecies: | E. m. indicus |
Trinomial name | |
Elephas maximus indicus Cuvier, 1798 | |
Synonyms | |
E. m. bengalensis de Blainville, 1843 |
Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild population has declined by at least 50% since the 1930s to 1940s, i.e. three elephant generations. The Asian elephant is threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.
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