🌿Native Nature

Asian Elephant

Elephas maximus

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia ›Phylum: Chordata ›Class: Mammalia ›Order: Proboscidea ›Family: Elephantidae ›Genus: Elephas

About

The Asian or Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus) is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed in Southeast Asia from India and Nepal in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognised—E. m. maximus from Sri Lanka, the E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m. sumatranus from the island of Sumatra. Asian elephants are the largest living land animals in Asia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the scientific name of Asian Elephant?
The scientific name of Asian Elephant is Elephas maximus.
What is the conservation status of Asian Elephant?
The Asian Elephant has a conservation status of Endangered.
What kingdom does Asian Elephant belong to?
Asian Elephant belongs to the kingdom Animalia.
What phylum does Asian Elephant belong to?
Asian Elephant belongs to the phylum Chordata.
What class does Asian Elephant belong to?
Asian Elephant belongs to the class Mammalia.
What order does Asian Elephant belong to?
Asian Elephant belongs to the order Proboscidea.
What family does Asian Elephant belong to?
Asian Elephant belongs to the family Elephantidae.
What genus does Asian Elephant belong to?
Asian Elephant belongs to the genus Elephas.

In the News

Sri Lanka mourns iconic tusker amid renewed calls to address human-elephant conflict

COLOMBO – The death of Kavantissa, one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic wild tuskers (Elephas maximus maximus), following a gunshot injury triggered an extraordinary wave of public grief, political attention and criticism of wildlife authorities.The elephant’s final days brought together politicians, Buddhist monks, wildlife enthusiasts and veterinarians in a collective effort to save a giant […]

Mongabay · 10/24/2026

As Sri Lanka braces for El Niño, national parks are a concern amidst encroachment

COLOMBO — Around 14% of Sri Lanka’s total land area is dedicated to wildlife protected areas, which includes more than 20 national parks. However, due to natural and anthropogenic factors, protected species such as leopards (Panthera pardus kotiya) and elephants (Elephas maximus maximus) living in these protected areas face continuous threats as their habitats continue […]

Mongabay · 7/21/2026