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Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus)

By Laura Klappenbach, About.com

Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus)

Description: The asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus) weighs between 3000 and 5000 kg and has grey or brown skin. Their ears are smaller than those of the African Elephant and the in habit scrub forests and jungles.
Classification:
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Mammalia
  • Order: Proboscidea
  • Family: Elephantidae
  • Genus: Elephas
  • Species: Elephas maximus

New to animal classification? Find out more about how scientists classify animals.

Habitat: India, Southeast Asia, Sumatra and Borneo. Former range included areas south of the Himalayas and China, north to the Yangtze River.
Diet: Vegetation such as bark, stems, roots, and leaves of trees and shrubs.
Status: Endangered.
References: The following references were used to create this profile:
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