![asian elephant outline asian elephant outline](https://www.printablee.com/postpic/2009/01/free-printable-elephant-template_204697.png)
Coupled with their extensive social ties, these spectacular animals are able to develop and socially teach novel foraging techniques, warning signals, and other behaviours which aid in their survival.Īnother survival technique which elephants have evolved is their abnormally long gestation period and birth interval. In fact, the temporal lobe of elephants is actually larger and denser than that of humans, indicating a higher capacity for memory retention. With a neocortex on a similar evolutionary stage as humans, apes and dolphins, elephants demonstrated a range of behaviours, such as tool-use and displaying emotions including grief and compassion, which are typically associated with intelligence. Social BehaviourĪs aforementioned, elephants have a high intellectual capacity which enables them to adopt learned behaviours. The Asian elephant trunk features a small, finger-like appendix at its tip to assist with holding onto small objects, whereas its cousin, the African elephant trunk has two. It is utilised for breathing, drinking, showering, and even as a snorkel when crossing deep rivers. One of the most defining characteristics of this elephant species is their incredible trunk, which contains approximately 40,000 muscles. Valiant individuals often wander into fields of cultivated crops, showing a preference for bananas, rice and sugarcane plants. They spend approximately two thirds of their day feeding, with adults consuming as much as 130kg of food daily. The herbivorous diet of an Asian elephant consists mainly of tree bark, roots, leaves, stems, and grass. Subspecies: Elephas maximus indicus (Indian elephant), Elephas maximus maximus (Sri Lankan elephant), Elephas maximus sumatranus (Sumatran elephant), Elephas maximus borneensis (Bornean elephant) Species: Elephas maximus (Asian elephant)