Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus)

The ppt covers general overview of Indian elephant.

1. INDIAN ELEPHANT ( Elephas maximus )

2. CLASSIFICATION :- KINGDOM - Animalia Phylum - Chordate Class - Mammalia Order - Proboscidea Family - Elephantidea Genus - Elephas Species - E. maximus Subspecies - E. m. idicus

3. MORPHOLOGY :- Scientific name is Elephas maximus . The INDIAN ELEPHANT is found in INDIA. INDIAN ELEPHANT are also afound in Nepal,Bangladesh,Bhutan,Thailand,China , Mynamar , Sri Lanka and Malaysia. They have thick, winkly , grey skin, and big eyes. Their long trunks(noses) are used to breath, touch and pick things up.

4. HABIT AND HABITAT :- INDIAN ELEPHANT can live in the range of habitats. From tropical forests to grassland and scrubland. INDIAN ELEPHANT are one of the largest land mammals alive today and they need a lot of food and habitat to move about in.

5. DIET :- INDIAN ELEPHANTS are herbivoures . Full grown eat up to 240kg of fresh plants in 18hrs. INDIAN ELEPHANTS eat all parts of a tress; twigs, barks, roots, leaves and fruits, they also eat grasses and shrubs. Unfortunately indian elephants will also eat crops planted by people.

6. COMMUNICATION :- INDIAN ELEPHANTS use loud trumpets when they are exicted or afraid. They also use chrips , roars and rumbles to communicated. They use body languages such as flapping their ears or raising their tail.

7. SOCIAL ORGANISATION :- Elephants are intelligent, social animal live in family group of 6 or more. Sometimes several family groups travels together. A family group is made up of a mother and youngsters. The old males travel alone.

8. REPRODUCTION:- Males sexually matures by 15yrs. Of age while female can give birth by 12yrs. A female indian elephants will give birth to one calf every 4yrs. After a pregnancy of 20-22 months. Elephants is polygynous ie . More females than males bread.

9. USE OF TRUNK:- As a tool grazing and browing manipulation objects moving in water As a sense organ Touch and smell As a social-signaling organ Bear a visual signals A touch communicator A trumpet that amplifies vocalization.

10. IMPORTANCE :- In HINDUISM the god GANESHA’S head is of elephant and the “blessing” of a temple elephant are highly valued Used as war early as the MAHABHARAT, mugals and many other emperors in INDIA and Asia. In south india used in religious ceremonies. In illegal logging in north east india and south east asia . Central government forces.

11. THREATS :- Four word that defines an elephants big, social, intelligent and nomadic The major threats to the indian elephants are; habitat loss, conflict with people, and hunting by people. People cut down the forest, where indian elephants lives, to grow crops. Humans and elephants can comes into conflicts when the people try to defend their crops(for examples rice and bananas) against the hungry elephants.

12. Conservation :- Project elephants was launched in 1992 by the govt. of india ministry of environment and forests. Nation heritage animal of india declared in 2010. Elephant task forces. NGO’s like WTI,ANCF,ATREE,ARANYAK,NCF,WWF- india putting elephants back into the wild with thw help of forest department.

13. 21 august

14. The Elephant can survive only if forest survie

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