Today’s article focuses on the Sri Lankan elephant, the largest of the three subspecies of Asian elephant. The fellow above is a large, tuskless male stripping the bark from a tree to get to the softer, nutrient-rich cambium beneath. Yes, this feeding behavior is highly destructive to the tree and will most likely kill it. Now here’s an interesting set of facts:
- It is common for both male and female African elephants to grow tusks
- In Asian elephants, this feature is only seen in the male; Female Asian elephants do not grow tusks
- Tusks are even rarer in Sri Lankan elephants, with only about 7% of males sporting them
- The largest Sri Lankan elephant tusk belonged to Millangoda Raja
Before we get to today’s photo gallery/slide show featuring Sri Lankan elephants at the Udawalawe National Park, let’s take a look at the Sri Lankan version of the oriental garden lizard, since these in Sri Lanka are among the largest you’ll find:
Now for today’s Sri Lankan elephant photo gallery/slide show:
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