Duncan wants to play Houston Zoo

Duncan wants to play taken at the Houston Zoo... more

by TN Fairey

Title

Duncan wants to play Houston Zoo

Artist

TN Fairey

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Photograph - Photographs

Description

Duncan wants to play taken at the Houston Zoo

Duncan born 7 February 2014
The Houston Zoo welcomed a new baby boy elephant into the fold early Friday.

The 385-pound Asian elephant newborn, named Duncan, was born at just after 2 a.m.
Shanti carried Duncan for nearly 23 months, labor process was very quick, Barongi said.

"Duncan was out of womb in three minutes from the contraction," he said. The whole
Duncan is Shanti's fourth calf.

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. Asian elephants are the largest living land animals in Asia.
Since 1986, they have been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years. Asian elephants are primarily threatened by degradation, fragmentation, loss of habitat, and poaching. In 2003, the wild population was estimated at between 41,410 and 52,345 individuals. Female captive elephants have lived beyond 60 years when kept in semi-natural surroundings, such as forest camps
Their wrinkled skin is movable and contains many nerve centers. It is smoother than that of African elephants, and may be depigmented on the trunk, ears, or neck. The epidermis and dermis of the body average 18 mm (0.71 in) thick; skin on the dorsum is 30 mm (1.2 in) thick providing protection against bites, bumps, and adverse weather. Its folds increase surface area for heat dissipation. They can tolerate cold better than excessive heat. Skin temperature varies from 24 to 32.9 °C (75.2 to 91.2 °F). Body temperature averages 35.9 °C (96.6 °F).
Asian elephants have been domesticated for thousands of years. The powerful beasts have been employed to move heavy objects, such as felled trees, to carry humans on their backs, and even to wage war.
The elephant is Earth's largest land animal, although the Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears. (An African elephant's ears resemble the continent of Africa.)
Elephant ears radiate heat to help keep these large animals cool, but sometimes that isn't enough. Elephants are fond of water and enjoy showering by sucking water into their trunks and spraying it all over themselves.
An elephant's trunk is actually a long nose with many functions. It is used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for grabbing things especially a potential meal. The trunk alone contains about 100,000 different muscles. Asian elephants have a fingerlike feature on the end of their trunk that they can use to grab small items. (African elephants have two.)
Having a baby elephant is a serious commitment. Elephants have a longer pregnancy than any other mammals almost 22 months. Cows usually give birth to one calf every two to four years. At birth, elephants already weigh some 200 pounds (91 kilograms) and stand about three feet (1 meter) tall.



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June 1st, 2014