Animal ID Challenge - African or Asian Elephant?

Photo © Robert Churchill / iStockphoto.

Elephants (Order Proboscidea) form a group of mammals that consists of only one family, the Family Elephantidea. The Family Elephantidea, in turn, consists of two genera, each of which contain a single species of elephant--the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). Here we have a picture of an elephant, it is your task to determine which of the two elephant species it belongs to.

This elephant is the smaller of the two species of elephants. It has an arched back and its ears are smaller in proportion to its head size, when compared to the other elephant species. The female of this species of elephant lacks tusks.

After you have cast your vote in this Animal ID Challenge, be sure to check your answer here.