Sleeping female on visit to the Southern Tier circus. In general, Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants and have the highest body point on the head. The tip of their trunk has one finger-like process. Their back is convex or level. Indian elephants reach a shoulder height of between 6.6 and 11.5 ft, weigh between 4,400 and 11,000 lb, and have 19 pairs of ribs. Their skin color is lighter than of maximus with smaller patches of depigmentation, but darker than of sumatranus. Females are usually smaller than males, and have short or no tusks. New York has banned the use of elephants in entertainment acts such as circuses and parades. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Elephant Protection Act into law after it was passed by the state legislature in June. Animal rights campaigners argue elephants used in performances are subjected to cruel treatment at the hands of circus trainers. Elephant skin is wrinkled in appearance, with African elephants more wrinkled than Asian elephants. Wrinkles act as a cooling mechanism by increasing the skin`s surface area. The additional skin and wrinkles trap moisture, which then takes longer to evaporate.
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