Sri Lankan elephant

Sri Lankan elephant
	Male tusker
	Female and juveniles in Yala National Park
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Proboscidea
Family:	Elephantidae
Genus:	Elephas
Species:	E. maximus
Subspecies:	E. m. maximus
Trinomial name
	Elephas maximus maximus; Linnaeus, 1758
	Range of the Sri Lankan elephant

The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is native to Sri Lanka and one of three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant. It is the type subspecies of the Asian elephant and was first described by Carl Linnaeus under the binomial Elephas maximus in 1758.^[1] The Sri Lankan elephant population is now largely restricted to the dry zone in the north, east and southeast of Sri Lanka. Elephants are present in Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, Lunugamvehera National Park, Wilpattu National Park and Minneriya National Park but also live outside protected areas. It is estimated that Sri Lanka has the highest density of elephants in Asia. Human-elephant conflict is increasing due to conversion of elephant habitat to settlements and permanent cultivation.^[2]

^ Linnaeus, Carl (1760). "Elephas maximus". Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis [System of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera and species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places] (in Latin). Vol. 1. Halle an der Saale: Typis et sumtibus Io. Iac. Curt. p. 33.
^ Fernando, Prithiviraj; Jayewardene, Jayantha; Prasad, Tharaka; Hendavitharana, W.; Pastorini, Jennifer (2011). "Current Status of Asian Elephants in Sri Lanka" (PDF). Gajah. 35: 93–103. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2013.

[1] Linnaeus, Carl (1760). "Elephas maximus". Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis [System of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera and species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places] (in Latin). Vol. 1. Halle an der Saale: Typis et sumtibus Io. Iac. Curt. p. 33.

[Fernando2011-2] Fernando, Prithiviraj; Jayewardene, Jayantha; Prasad, Tharaka; Hendavitharana, W.; Pastorini, Jennifer (2011). "Current Status of Asian Elephants in Sri Lanka" (PDF). Gajah. 35: 93–103. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2013.

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