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Asian elephant
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A herd of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), including adults and calves, stands and plays in a shallow river with palm trees and greenery in the background. Close-up of an Asian elephant mother touching trunks with her baby, showing their faces and textured skin. Young Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) Three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) stand close together in lush green grass at Minneriya National Park, Sri Lanka. Copenhagen Zoo Mysore, Karnataka, India: elephant in Kabani River Four Asian elephants stand in a shallow river surrounded by rocks, with palm trees and green hills in the background in Sri Lanka. Side view illustration of an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) with gray skin, large ears, and long curved tusks, shown next to a scale bar indicating 1 meter and 3 feet for size reference. A timeline diagram shows the evolutionary history of modern elephants, depicting Gomphotherium as an ancient ancestor branching into the woolly mammoth, American mastodon, Asian elephant, African savanna elephant, and African forest elephant, with illustrations of each species and labeled time periods from the Eocene to the present.
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Asian elephant: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • Frannie Comstock
    Frannie Comstock is a writer based in Chicago.
  • John P. Rafferty
    John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to the natural world.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: A-Z Animals - Asian Elephant. Sep 12, 2026
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Asian elephants are associated with a more robust mammalian community in tropical forests. May 09, 2026
Add new Web site: Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute - Asian elephant. Mar 28, 2026
Add new Web site: International Environment Library Consortium - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library - Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) Fact Sheet: Summary. Feb 12, 2026
New article added. Jun 13, 2025
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