Elephas maximus, Asian Elephant

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The current geographic range of the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus, includes Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, southern China, and the Indian subcontinent. Within this extensive range, the Asian elephant utilizes a diversity of habitats that include thick jungles to open grassy plains. Although the current distribution of the Asian elephant is considerable, this species historically roamed from Iraq to northern China. The current retraction of geographic range reflects diminishing population numbers. The Asian elephant presently is listed as endangered by CITES. Dr. Amy Balanoff, 2003, "Elephas maximus" (On-line), Digital Morphology. Accessed May 18, 2017 at http://digimorph.org/specimens/Elephas_maximus/mandible/.