Sri Lankan elephant

[sree lahng-kuhn el uh-fuhnt, lang-kuhn, shree]

noun

1. the largest Asian elephant subspecies (Elephas maximus maximus ), native to Sri Lanka and classified as endangered: compared to its related subspecies, it has darker skin, with greater areas of depigmentation, and is more likely to belong to a herd in which tuskless males are common.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sri Lankan elephant¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Since the turn of the century, Sri Lankan elephant populations have fallen by almost 65 percent thanks to an increase in deforestation on the island.

Read more on National Geographic

The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three subspecies of Asian elephant and is found only on the teardrop-shaped Indian Ocean island.

Read more on Seattle Times

“And then, of course, since I am built like a Sri Lankan elephant, I starve until lunch,” he says.

Read more on Washington Post