African elephant in the circus. What is the difference between the Indian (Asian) elephant and the African one?

The structure of the trunk also differs between African and Indian elephants: in the African elephant the end of the trunk has two finger-like processes, while in the Indian elephant it has only one upper “finger”.

You can also distinguish an Indian elephant from an African one by its tracks: an Indian elephant has 5 hooves on its front limbs and 4 on its hind limbs, while an African elephant has 5, or less often 4, hooves on its front limbs, and 3 on its hind limbs.

African and Indian elephants have differences in internal structure: the African elephant has 21 pairs of ribs, and the Indian one - only 19; the African elephant has 33 caudal vertebrae, and the Indian one - only 26. There are differences in the structure of the molars.

Puberty in African elephants occurs at the age of 25 years, and in Indian elephants earlier - at 15-20 years.

They even differ in character: Indian elephants are more friendly towards humans and are easier to tame. It is Indian elephants that help people in transporting goods and other hard work (in countries Southeast Asia), it is Indian elephants that can be found in the circus. African elephants are more aggressive and less trainable. Although they can be domesticated: it is known that African elephants took part in Hannibal’s campaign against Rome (III century BC).

In conclusion, more details about the habitat area.

Indian elephants currently live in Northeast, East and South India, East Pakistan, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Nepal, Malacca, Sumatra and Ceylon. They inhabit a variety of landscapes from dense forests to tall grass plains. They live in herds of 15-30 individuals; the leader of the herd is usually an old female.

Range of the Asian (Indian) elephant

The African elephant is distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. However, if previously the range (area of ​​distribution) of the African elephant was continuous, now it is fragmented: African elephant no longer found in most parts South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Ethiopia; completely disappeared from Northern Somalia. African elephants inhabit a variety of landscapes, with the exception of semi-deserts and deserts. They keep in herds, which in the past reached 400 heads.

Range of the African savannah elephant

All known species elephants are currently endangered and are listed in the Red Book.

Where do elephants live?

Elephants are the largest modern land animals. They are peaceful vegetarians, but due to their impressive size they can fend for themselves. Adult elephants have virtually no enemies in nature. Elephants are very smart animals.

There are two types of elephants: African and Indian (Asian).

African elephants live throughout the African continent, they live mainly in savannas, but some individuals prefer tropical forests, south of the Sahara Desert.

Indian elephants live in the jungles of India and in other countries of Southeast Asia.

How are Indian elephants different from African elephants?

1. Indian elephants are 2.5 - 3 m tall and about 6 m long. African elephants are much larger and grow up to 7.5 m in length, reaching 4 meters in height.
2. African elephants have large fan ears, while Indian elephants have ears of more modest size.
3. African elephants have two processes at the tip of their trunk - “fingers”. Indians have only one “finger” at the end of their trunk.
4. The Indian elephant has the highest point of its body at the top of its head, while the African elephant has its head below its shoulders.
Indian elephants are easily tamed and have helped humans since ancient times. In ancient times, Indian elephants were even taught military training. Now in some Asian countries, working elephants are valued above modern machines; they lift heavy objects and are used as transport in impenetrable jungles.

Knowing these differences, you can determine which elephant is African and which is Indian.

Indian elephants

Both African and indian elephant s belong to the elephant family, but are various types. This family belonged to mammoths, extinct in the last ice age, as well as mastodons that lived in America and disappeared shortly before people arrived there. These are the reasons why most of the differences between these species are noticeable to the naked eye.

It's no secret that the elephant is largest land-dwelling terrestrial creature. To be more precise, the largest elephant on the planet is the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), about four meters tall at the shoulders. The length of the torso of such an animal fluctuates between marks 6 - 7.5 meters. Weight of an average individual - 7 tons.

Indian or Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are inferior to the record holder in all respects:

• Height up to three meters.
• The body size is up to six and a half meters.
• The average male weighs 5 tons.

Scientists believe that the African elephant is a descendant of mastodons, and the ancestors of Indian elephants are mammoths.

External differences

In African elephants ears larger size than that of Asian elephants. In the first species of animals, this part of the body grows up to one and a half meters long and has a round shape. Ears Asian species elongated and slightly sharp at the bottom.

Nature has awarded both males and females with tusks. African species. In "girls", however, they are usually smaller. For Asian elephants, the opposite is true: only the “boys” grow tusks, and even then not one hundred percent. Indians call tusked elephants makhna. The African elephant species has longer tusks (up to 3.5 meters) and curved shape. In the Asian species of elephants they are shorter and almost straight.

African elephant skin covered countless wrinkles and folds. The Indian, on the contrary, has modest hair. Also, these two species differ in color: African elephants are gray-brown, Indian elephants can have a color palette from deep gray to brown.

Constitution and eating habits

The back of African elephants is almost straight, slightly concave, with an increase in the sacral region. Asian elephants, on the contrary, have a convex spine. Relatively modest in size, the Asian savannah giant visually looks more massive than African, since its limbs are short and thick, unlike the limbs of representatives of other species. The structure of the legs can be easily explained by the differences in the feeding behavior of Indian and African elephants: the former eat exclusively branches and leaves, but do not disdain to nibble grass; the latter, on the contrary, eat only leaves from tree branches.

Trunk – distinguishing feature elephants as a species. It's not really a nose, but rather fused with the nose. upper lip. With the help of its trunk, the elephant breathes, gets food, drinks, takes a bath, and so on. The structure of this organ is also different in the species under consideration. The end of the African elephant's trunk is equipped with a pair of finger-like processes, while the Indian elephant has only one such process (at the top).

The differences between African and Asian elephants extend to their foot structure. Indian elephants have five hooves on their front legs and four on their hind legs. Africans have five hooves on their front limbs (sometimes four), and three on their hind limbs.

Internal structure and behavioral features

The differences in the structure of the organs and systems of African and Asian elephants are as follows: in the former - 42 ribs, for the second - 38 , the former have thirty-three vertebrae in the tail, while the latter have only twenty-six. There are also differences in the structure of the molars.

African elephants become sexually mature 25 years old. Indians develop much faster: they are ready to produce offspring already in 15 – 20 years.

When it comes to temperament, the Asian elephants win. From a people's point of view. Why? Because they behave more friendly, they are easier to train. Asian elephants in their homeland (in southeast Asia) help people transport heavy loads and perform other difficult tasks. physical work. All over the world, Indian elephants work in circuses. African elephants, on the contrary, are much more aggressive and less responsive to humans. But training them is theoretically possible: it is known that African elephants took part in Hannibal’s campaign against Rome in the 3rd century BC.

Where do they live?

The Asian species today is distributed in Eastern, Northeastern and Southern India, East Pakistan, Burma, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Ceylon, Malacca and Sumatra. They live in a variety of areas from savannahs overgrown with tall grass to dense jungles. The herd usually numbers from 15 to three dozen individuals. Chapter - wise old female.

The African elephant lives throughout Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Initially, the habitat of the African savannah giants was continuous, but today it is replete with gaps: this type animals no longer live in the vast majority of the territories of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Ethiopia; in northern Somalia there is none at all. The African elephant can live in a wide variety of landscapes, except desert and semi-desert. These impressively sized elephants live in herds. Previously, the herd could contain up to four hundred individuals.

Elephants of both species produce approximately five cubs. Very strong in herds family ties. A group of elephants may consist of hundreds of individuals related by blood. Elephants are nomadic animals; they do not have certain territory habitat. Elephant herds spend their entire lives on the move: looking for food, which they need in huge quantities every day, and spending the night near water bodies.

That's all for today known to science Elephant species are in danger of becoming extinct, which is why they are listed in the Red Book.

Just recently I was convinced that the only thing that could make a difference was the rider. It is logical that an Indian will ride an Asian elephant, and an African, accordingly, will rule an African one. :) But this is not the only difference, which is what my story will be about.

What is the difference between the African and Indian elephant

Surprisingly, representatives of elephants that are so similar at first glance nevertheless have a number of differences, not only external, but also behavioral. So, if you look closely, the first thing that catches your eye is the size - the African is an order of magnitude more massive and taller, moreover, it is the largest land animal. A height of 4 meters is by no means uncommon, while the length reaches 7. At the same time, the mass of an African elephant often exceeds 7 tons, but the Asian elephant is significantly “lighter” - 5 tons maximum. In addition to such an obvious difference, there are other features:

• Ear shape. In the Asian one they are slightly smaller, but are distinctly extended downwards.
• Tusks. Although the females of the African elephant are not as huge as those of the male, the companions of the Asian elephant are completely devoid of such “decoration”. In addition, there is a difference in shape and length - rounded and long in African, and straight and short in Asian.
• Skin and trunk. Inhabitants African savannas covered with a huge number of wrinkles, while the skin has a more whitish color. The Asian body is covered with small hairs, with dark skin color. As for the trunk, the tip of the Asian elephant is crowned with 1 “finger”, and the African elephant with 2.

Behavior and figure

Regarding temperament, asian elephant much friendlier than its African counterpart, and is happy to make contact with people. They can be trained and are even capable of performing simple labor-intensive work, such as dragging a load. His African counterpart, on the contrary, is extremely aggressive, although he can also be tamed, albeit with great difficulty.

The inhabitants of African open spaces are distinguished by a straight back, moreover, sometimes even a little concave. But representatives of the Asian species have a characteristic hump, which gives them a drooping, gloomy appearance.

The elephant is the largest animal on Earth, if we talk about land animals. The African elephant has been known to mankind since ancient times. Despite its enormous size, this African giant easily tamed and possessed high intelligence. African elephants have been used since ancient times to carry heavy loads and even as fighting animals during wars. They remember commands easily and are highly trainable. IN wildlife they have practically no enemies and even lions and large crocodiles do not dare to attack adult individuals.

Description of the African elephant

the largest terrestrial mammal on our planet. It is much larger than the Asian elephant and can reach 4.5-5 meters in height, and its weight is approximately 7-7.5 tons. But there are also real giants: the largest African elephant that was discovered weighed 12 tons, and the length of its body was about 7 meters.

Range, habitats

African elephants used to be distributed throughout Africa. Now, with the advent of civilization and poaching, their habitat has decreased significantly. Most of the elephants live in the territory national parks Kenya, Tanzania and Congo. IN dry season they travel hundreds of kilometers in search of fresh water and nutrition. In addition to national parks, they are found in the wild in Namibia, Senegal, Zimbabwe and Congo.

Currently, the habitat of African elephants is rapidly decreasing due to the fact that more and more land is being given over to construction and agricultural needs. In some of their usual habitats, the African elephant can no longer be found. Due to the value of ivory, elephants have a hard life and often become victims of poachers. The main and only enemy of elephants is man.

The most common myth about elephants is that they allegedly bury their dead relatives in certain places. Scientists spent a lot of effort and time, but never found any special places where the bodies or remains of animals were concentrated. Such places don't really exist.

Nutrition. African elephant diet

African elephants are truly insatiable creatures, adult males can eat up to 150 kilograms of plant food per day, females about 100. It takes them 16-18 hours a day to absorb food, the rest of the time they spend searching for it, and they spend 2-3 hours sleeping hours. This is one of the least sleeping animals in the world.

There is a prejudice It is believed that African elephants are very fond of peanuts and spend a lot of time searching for them, but this is not true. Of course, elephants have nothing against such a delicacy, and in captivity they willingly eat it. But still, it is not eaten in nature.

Grass and shoots of young trees are their main food; they eat fruit as a delicacy. With their gluttony, they damage agricultural lands; farmers scare them away, since killing elephants is prohibited and they are protected by law. These giants of Africa spend most of the day searching for food. The cubs completely switch to plant foods when they reach three years, and before that they feed on their mother’s milk. After about 1.5-2 years, they gradually begin to receive adult food in addition to mother's milk. They consume a lot of water, approximately 180-230 liters per day.

Second myth says that old males who have left the herd become killers of people. Of course, cases of elephant attacks on humans are possible, but this is not associated with a specific behavior pattern of these animals.

The myth that elephants are afraid of rats and mice because they chew their legs also remains a myth. Of course, elephants are not afraid of such rodents, but they still do not have much love for them.