Asian Elephants  Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus
and Species: Elephas maximus  Giant herbivores, Asian elephants
can tear down huge tree limbs or pick up small objects with
their muscular trunks.  Physical Description:  Asian elephants
are huge gray animals inhabiting Asian tropical forests. Their
gray coloration conceals them in their shady habitat. Elephants'
trunks, unique among living mammals, are versatile, enabling
them to reach the ground, manipulate tiny objects or tear down
huge tree limbs, squirt water over their backs or into their
mouths, or blow dirt onto their backs during dust baths. Female
Asian elephants usually lack visible tusks as do males in some
populations, such as those in northeast India. Wide, padded feet
enable them to walk quietly. Large, flappable ears help these
huge animals cool off, although elephants often must retreat to
the shade or water during the hottest part of the day.   Asian
elephants grow up to 21 feet long, stand up to 10 feet tall, and
weigh up to 11,