Pygmy elephant
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2008-07-10T21:33:08Z
Mark t young
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[[Image:Borneo-elephant-PLoS_Biology.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Borneo Elephant|Borneo pygmy elephant]] (''Elephas maximus borneensis'')]]
'''Pygmy Elephants''' are [[cryptids]], reported to be living in both [[Africa]] and [[Asia]]. The African Pygmy Elephant, described as ''Loxodonta pumilio'', is currently considered to be a tiny [[morph (zoology)|morph]] of the [[African Forest Elephant]]s (''L. cyclotis''); see Debruyne ''et al.'' (2003).
The [[Borneo Elephant]] (''Elephas maximus borneensis'') is also called "Pygmy Elephant." This elephant, inhabiting [[tropical rainforest]] in north [[Borneo]] (east [[Sabah]] and extreme north [[Kalimantan]]), was long thought to be identical to the [[Asian Elephant]] and descended from a captive population. In 2003, [[DNA]] comparison revealed them to be probably a new subspecies<ref name=Fernando>Fernando P, Vidya TNC, Payne J, Stuewe M, Davison G, et al. (2003) DNA Analysis Indicates That Asian Elephants Are Native to Borneo and Are Therefore a High Priority for Conservation. PLoS Biol 1(1): e6 [http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0000006 Full text]</ref><ref>CBS News. July 1, 2005. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/01/world/main705924.shtml ''Spying on the Pygmy Elephant'']</ref>. In Aug 2007 it was reported that there are probably not more than 1,000 pygmy elephants left in Sabah, after a two year study by [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]]. <ref>Fewer pygmy jumbos now. Ruben Sario, The Star, Aug 10, 2007. [http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/10/nation/18548848&sec=nation]</ref>
The term Pygmy Elephant should not be confused with "[[dwarf elephant]]" which is used for a number of [[extinction|extinct]] species of elephants that [[evolution|evolved]] their size due to [[Insular dwarfism|island dwarfing]].
== Pygmy elephants of India ==
Kani tribals dwelling in the rain forests of the [[Western Ghats]], ([[Kerala]], [[India]]) claim that there are two distinct varieties of elephants in the Peppara forest range (part of Western Ghat), one the common [[Indian elephant]]s and the other a dwarf variety which they call "[[Kallana]]". The existence of a pygmy variety of elephant in India has not been scientifically ascertained.<ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/india-news/full_story.php?content_id=66259 Indian Express March 11, 2005]</ref>
==References==
<references/>
*Groves, P. & Grubb, P. 2000. Are there Pygmy Elephants? Elephant 2(4):8-10. [http://arts.anu.edu.au/grovco/Loxodonta%20cyclotis.pdf]
*Debruyne, R., Holt, A. van, Barriel, V. & Tassy, P. 2003. Status of the so-called African pygmy elephant (Loxodonta pumilio (NOACK 1906)): phylogeny of cytochrome b and mitochondrial control region sequences. Comptes Rendus de Biologie 326(7):687-697. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14556388&dopt=Abstract]
==External links==
*[http://www.pibburns.com/cryptost/pygmyele.htm Pygmy Elephant]
*[http://www.newanimal.org/s-elephant.htm The Cryptid Zoo: Pygmy Elephants]
* [http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/08/08/borneo.elephants.ap/index.html Borneo's pygmy elephants in danger]
* [http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/world/2008/04/17/D903G20G0_malaysia_pygmy_elephants/index.html Borneo pygmy elephants may be descendants of Java elephants believed extinct]
[[Category:Elephants]]
[[Category:Cryptids]]
[[de:Zwergelefant]]
[[es:Loxodonta pumilio]]
[[no:Pygméelefant]]