Two genera of elephants are currently recognized: Loxodonta, where the African elephants are located, and Elephas, which corresponds to the Asian ones. Within the latter, there are three subspecies and one of them is the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), which is seriously threatened. This megamammal has not only suffered the blows to which all elephant species have been exposed, but it is particularly under serious pressure from the deforestation of its habitat, which being an island has no possibility of migrating.
In this tab on our site we now present the Sumatran elephant so you can learn in detail the main aspects that characterize this subspecies, as well as its ecological role within the ecosystem in which it is found. The Elephantidae family is a group that has been heavily impacted by humans, so that their hunting, captivity and habitat destruction have exacerbated these striking proboscideans. We invite you to continue reading the text that we offer below.
Characteristics of the Sumatran Elephant
Eventually, the criteria to define a subspecies may be weak, which makes it difficult to establish it and even in some cases generates divergences on the part of the scientific community. Such is the case of the Borneo elephant, which is considered by some to be an Asian subspecies and named as Elephas maximus borneensis, while for other scientists it is included within the Indian elephant or the Sumatran elephant due to its similar features.
However, in the case of the Sumatran elephant, the aforementioned does not occur. Genetic studies, especially of mitochondrial DNA, have shown that this is a well-defined subspecies that must be considered as an evolutionarily significant unit.
This subspecies has the smallest size of the group, reaching an average height of just over 2 meters, and in Regarding its weight, it can be between 2 and 4 tons. Females are usually smaller than males. In addition to weight, there are two quite distinctive features that are present in the Sumatran elephant that differentiate it from the other two subspecies: one is that they have relatively larger ears(though never to the African level) and the other consists of a couple of extra ribs
Regarding coloration, there are no very significant variations between the elephant subspecies, however, the Sumatran elephant has a coloration that is a little less intense Regarding the tusks, they are present in males, while in females they are generally not, and if they do have them, they are only visible when they open their mouths, as we explained in this other article on Do all elephants have tusks? ?
Sumatran elephant habitat
The main habitat of this animal is made up of the lowland forests and low hills, which are found around 300 meters high, although they could also be present in other types of ecosystems on the island. The aforementioned forests are mainly characterized by being tropical and rainy, providing an ideal environment for the development of these animals.
By the mid-1980s, this elephant was found in practically all provinces of the island of Sumatra, since it had with more than half of its forests in good condition. However, deforestation for the planting of agricultural palm crops, coupled with the intervention of the wood industry for paper production, generated a drastic change in this area, considerably affecting the population of these mammals. This modification of the forests resulted in the extermination of more than 80% of the total population of the Sumatran elephant from its natural habitat.
Customs of the Sumatran Elephant
Like the rest of the Asian elephants, the Sumatran usually travels large areas, although they maintain a certain fidelity for the same range of distribution that, according to some studies, can vary between 200 and 1,000 kilometers. They are animals that maintain a social structure made up mainly of females, one of whom (the oldest) being the leader of the group. Normally, the young males are dispersed by the adult male that is part of the herd.
They also tend to drink plenty of water, being able to ingest up to more than 100 liters during a day, likewise, they enjoy taking baths with this liquid. A peculiar aspect of the customs of these animals is that they spend more than half of the day feeding. Life expectancy is common for Asian elephants, being in the wild between 60 and 70 years approximately. Similarly, they have the habit of following the same routes to move from one place to another, mainly in search of food.
Sumatran elephant feeding
They can consume up to about 150 kg wet weight of food daily, which is necessary to maintain their large bodies. They are generalist herbivores, so their diet is made up of various parts of a wide variety of plants, such as seeds, leaves, shoots, bark and fruits, although they also They come to ingest small portions of land to include certain minerals that are beneficial to them.
The deforestation of the forests in Sumatra directly affects the availability of food for these elephants, since it ends up destroying all the plants on which they feed. In addition, when human beings plant species that have commercial purposes, they prevent these elephants from consuming them.
The dispersion of a great diversity of plants that are present in the forests where the Sumatran elephant lives is closely related to the presence of this animal, since it is a great plant disperser, so the extinction of the species would also have a terrible effect on the ecological dynamics of these ecosystems.
For more information, we encourage you to read this other article on What do elephants eat?
Sumatran elephant reproduction
Females of this subspecies, although they can become pregnant earlier, generally do so around 15 years of ageThey remain fertile throughout the year, so mating can occur at any time. The males become sexually mature from the age of 10 and only approach the herd when they know that a female is ready to reproduce, which they make known through sounds. When this detection by the males occurs, there are often fights for the privilege of mating with the female, who will eventually choose the winning male.
The gestation period lasts 22 months and a single calf is born, which after a few hours will be able to stand up. Although it will nurse for several years, it will combine its diet with the consumption of plants. The care of the newborn will not only depend on the mother, but the other females also intervene in the process. On the other hand, they will wait several years before becoming pregnant again, and after the age of 60 they stop reproducing.
Conservation status of the Sumatran elephant
The Sumatran elephant is Critically Endangered, and it is estimated that if conservation measures are not appropriate and urgent, the species will disappear in the coming years Elephants are hunted for their ivory tusks, which are used in the manufacture of various objects, but also they are slaughtered to be consumed as food and to use their skin. Additionally, these animals are captured to domesticate them and use them in forced labor of the forest type, in addition to including them in some types of rituals.
Due to the exaggerated decrease in the habitat of the Sumatran elephant, their conflict with humans has increased considerably, in some way it can be said that they no longer have practically any space to move to within the island: some have been deforested and transformed into crops, others are urbanized. Despite the conservation measures put in place for the protection of this subspecies in Indonesia, more than 80% of its habitats are outside protected areas.
In the case of the Sumatran elephant, it is clearly appreciated how humans have no limits in terms of the damage we can cause to other living beings on the planet, generating actions that push to the point of extinction of species.
