Rainforest Animals: Asian Elephant

picture by daryl_mitchell

Asian Elephant

Scientific Name: Elephas maximus

Status: Endangered

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Proboscidea

Family: Elephantidae

Genus: Elephas

Species: E. maximus

General Information:

The Asian elephant is one of three recognized extant species of the family elephantidae; the other two are the African forest elephant and the African bush elephant. It is also the largest terrestial mammal in Asia. This hullking animal once patrolled vast stretches of Asia in abundance, but today is an endangered species confined to a few select regions of South and Southeast Asia. It is estimated that there are only between 25,600 and 32,750 individuals remaining in the wild. The Asian elephant has also become prominent as a domestic creature, assisting in industry as a beast of burden and also fulfilling tourist and traditional roles. In military history, the Asian elephant has been a presence upon a many battlefields, used for combat from the days of Ancient India through the era of Alexander the Great and into the days of the Moguls.

Physical Description:

Asian elephants are generally smaller than their African bush counterparts. Asian elephants differ from their African cousins with their smaller ears and different cranial structure. Also, while both male and female African elephants have long tusks, only the male Asian elephant has visible tusks; the female Asian elephant’s tusks are so short they are pratically not visible. There are four currently recognized subspecies of Asian elephant: the Indian elephant (E. m. indicus), the Sri Lanka elephant (E. m. maximus), the Sumatran elephant (E. m. sumatrensis), and the newly classified Borneo elephant (E. m. borneensis). Of the four subspecies, the smallest is the Borneo elephant, also known as the Borneo pygmy elephant (which also bears the recognition of being the tamest of the four as well). The largest is the Sri Lankan elephant, closely followed by the Indian elephant. Although both races can reach heights of a bit over 11 feet, the Sri Lankan elephant has a heavier weight of up to 12,000 lbs.

Diet:

Elephants are voracious eaters, consuming about 10% of their body weight in food each day. It also requires 80 - 200 liters of water daily as well. It feeds on a wide array of vegetation, preferring grasses but also eating leaves, roots, banks, and vines.

Habitat:

Asian elephants primarily occur in scrub forests, but are also found along forest edges where more open and grassy areas are available. They range from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh to Sri Lanka and throughout portions of Indochina. It is also found in parts of Indonesia.

Reproduction:

Females are capable of giving birth about every 4 - 6 years, and can birth about 7 calves per lifetime. Gestation lasts for approximately 19 - 22 months. Mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts all help in raising the young.

Article Source: Tony Mandarich

Rainforest Animals - Sloth Bear

Name:
Sloth Bear

Scientific Name:
Melursus ursinus

Status:
Vulnerable

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Melursus
Species: M. ursinus

General Information:
The sloth bear is the only species in the genus Melursus. It is a nocturnal creature of South Asia. Contrary to the implication of its name, the sloth bear is actually quite fast and can outrun a human being. There are a variety of theories as to where it gets its name, including the idea that early explorers spotted the bears lying upside down in trees, similar to the general appearance of sloths. In the 1700s, it was even classified as being a member of the sloth family, and accordingly named as “bear sloth”. It wasn’t until the 1800s, when the first live sloth bear arrived in Europe from India, that scientists were able to properly categorize it. Although it can be quite ferocious, leopards, tigers, and wolves are known to predate upon it or its young. Habitat destruction and poaching constitute the primary threat to this species’ survival.

Physical Description:
The sloth bear is a relatively small but stocky bear, draped in long, shaggy black fur. The particularly long hair around its neck gives off the image that it has a mane. There is a large white or yellow Y-shaped patch on its chest. Adult sloth bears generally weigh about 176 - 308 lbs for males and 121 - 187 lbs for females. It is generally 4 ft 7 in to 6 ft 3 in in length.

Diet:
Sloth bears are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of foods that include plants, insects, and animals. It has been known to scavenge from tiger kills and even eat cultivated crops. When eating insects, they prefer termites, using their long claws to expose the insects’ nests. And, because of their dietary fondness of honey, they have also been called honey bears.

Habitat:
Sloth bears inhabit a diverse array of forests, from dry thorn forests in the north of its range to the wet tropical forests in the south. They are also found in grassland areas. Their range includes areas of Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.

Reproduction:
Based on the limited available information, sloth bears appear to mate year-round. The gestation period is about 7 months, after which time the female gives birth to 1 - 3 cubs, with 2 generally being the case.

Article Source: www.paradiseearth.com