Elephants are the large herbivorous mammals representing group of hemipterous. Today only two species of elephants — African and Indian remained, and both have the security status.
Once numerous group hemipterous is presented by the only family today — elephant in which there were two sorts — the African elephants (Loxodonta) and the Indian elephants (Elephas), other representatives of family were exterminated by the person or died out from natural causes.
Carry to group of elephant also giant elephants the living about 10 thousand years ago — mammoths. Mammoths were covered with dense wool and had the huge sizes — to 5.5 meters in height and weight more than 10 tons.
African elephant
The genus of the African elephants contains two views — the Savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the Forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) which were earlier considered as one species.
As it is easy to understand from names, the Savanna elephant prefers the steppe and semi-steppe territories called in Africa savannas, the Forest elephant lives in tropical forests of the equatorial belt of the continent. By different estimates the cumulative number of Savanna and Forest elephants is from 400 to 660 thousand individuals. Since 1970 when it became for the first time possible to estimate the population size, the number of the African elephant was cut by half.
The forest elephant as a look appeared relatively recently — in 1900 the German zoologist Paul Matschi suggested to divide the African elephant into two views. More DNA late tests confirmed its assumption.
The African elephant is included in the International Red List. By the union of conservation (IUCN) it was given the security status of VU, that is being in vulnerable situation.
Indian elephant
The genus of the Indian elephants is presented by the only look — Asian, or Indian, an elephant (Elephas maximus), including four subspecies: Indian elephant, sumatransky elephant, Bornean elephant, shri-Lankan elephant. Three last subspecies stood apart as a result of accommodation on the islands of the same name. Till the 19th century the Indian elephant was widespread on all Indian subcontinent then rapid reduction of population began. If in 1900 there were more than 200 thousand individuals, then by their 2004 remained from 35 to 50 thousand. Now the area of dwelling of the Indian elephant is broken off on small sites. In the wild nature of an elephant it is possible to meet in India, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, in the southwest of China, on the Indonesian islands and some other the Asian countries. As well as the African relative, the Indian elephant is under the international protection, but it is threatened by big danger. IUCN it was given the security status of EN, that is it is carried to endangered species.