Figure 1

Dwarf elephants documented in captivity. Panels (A) and (B) are reproduced from Deraniyagala 1955, plate 18; A) A 35-year-old female described as a dwarf, owned by a person in Sri Lanka; B) A 21-year-old male tusker captured in Mannar (north-west Sri Lanka), also described as a dwarf, with some physical measurements provided (see Table 1 and text); C) a photograph from Old Ceylon Page of a male elephant kept by the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy; D) “Mali” a wild-born female brought to the Dehiwala Zoo, reportedly found in the Anuradhapura area, with an estimated birth date of 1980. Photographed by W. Jackson (Elephant Encyclopedia and Database). It is not clearly established whether any of these cases constitute hereditary dwarfism, as opposed to other mechanisms such as stunted growth through nutrient deficiency or captive confinement.