Sideview of adult Sri Lankan Elephant, Yala NP, Sri Lanka

No tusks, like most Sri Lankan Elephants.

comments (2)

morpheme

Lion

I just saw an interesting bit on the no tusks - the researchers determined that hunting selected for a genetic mutation that causes a lack of tusks in male elephants (Asian elephant females don't have tusks normally) in this population. Usually the non-tusked males cannot become dominant and therefore don't mate, but because so may of the tusked males were hunted in Sri Lanka, it allowed the non-tusked males the opportunity to have their own harems, and thus the gene for a lack of tusks has been passed on to a large percentage of the population. It doesn't help with the disappearance of their habitat, but it is at least protective against further ivory poaching! Posted 10 years ago, modified 10 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Natural selection, that makes sense when you explain it like this. Thanks! Posted 10 years ago

The Sri Lankan elephant

The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to Sri Lanka. Since 1986, "Elephas maximus" has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years. The species is pre-eminently threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.

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Similar species: Elephants

Species identified by Ferdy Christant

By Ferdy Christant

Uploaded Apr 20, 2015. Captured Nov 13, 2014 16:37.

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NIKON D800
f/5.6
1/640s
ISO1600
280mm