Malayan Elephant - Elephas maximus hirsutus

Class:
Mammalia (Mammals)

Order:
Proboscidea

Family:
Elephantidae

Genus:
Elephas

Species:
Maximus

Subspecies:
Hirsutus

Distribution:
West Malaysia

Habitat:
Lowland forest and dipterocarp forest.

Diet:
Fruit, leaves, root and bark from different types of plants. Malayan Elephant is an endangered species due to habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching and culling for their ivory and other body parts. This species is protected under both the Malaysian Law Act 76 and the Malaysian Act 1972.

Interesting Facts:

• Only the bull (male) Asian elephant has tusks. Bull elephant without tusks is known as 'makhna'.
• Based on the inventory of the Wildlife and National Park's inventory (2000-2002), there are around 1220 to 1460 individuals found in the Peninsular of Malaysia's forests.
• Elephants consume around 200 kg of food a day and are the largest consumer of plants among the terrestrial animals.
• The word 'Maximus' means 'largest' or 'greatest' in Latin.
• Elephant's closest living relatives are the hyrax, sea cows and golden moles.
• Elephant's trunk contains as many as 150 000 muscles unit.