Stable identity
Elephas maximus · GBIF taxon key 5219461
Where do Asian elephants live?
Elephas maximus habitat and distribution evidence comes from 11,523 records in 22 countries and territories, from 1783 to 2026. Most records come from United States.
- 11,523 records
- 22 places
- 65 years recorded
- Mammalia class
Observation evidence passport
Observed facts
11,523 records across 22 countries and territories, 1783–2026.
Aggregate refreshed 2026-08-22.
Transparent calculation
Peak month: December. 12 months reach at least 10% of the peak count.
Calculated from the 12 monthly GBIF occurrence facets.
Labelled inference
resident Recorded across many years and months — an established presence.
A site interpretation, not a formal range or conservation assessment.
Compare this animal’s observation pattern
When it is recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: December. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.
Records over time
17832026
Recording effort has risen steeply almost everywhere since the 1990s, so a rising line usually shows more observers rather than more animals.
Where Asian elephant has been recorded
The countries below show where occurrence evidence exists for Asian elephant. They do not define a complete habitat range: survey effort differs by place, and historical or one-off records can appear alongside repeated presence.
| Place | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 4,459 | |
| India | 3,130 | |
| Sri Lanka | 1,796 | |
| Thailand | 783 | |
| Malaysia | 710 | |
| Cambodia | 281 | |
| Nepal | 170 | |
| China | 69 | |
| Indonesia | 63 | |
| Myanmar | 17 | |
| Vietnam | 11 | |
| Germany | 9 | |
| Bangladesh | 6 | |
| Bhutan | 4 | |
| Belgium | 3 | |
| Denmark | 3 | |
| Laos | 3 | |
| Sweden | 2 | |
| Central African Republic | 1 | |
| France | 1 | |
| Netherlands | 1 | |
| Taiwan | 1 |
Related animals
Others in the family Elephantidae.
Status from the records: resident
Recorded across many years and months — an established presence. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.
Recorded across many years and months — an established presence. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.