Rested elephants make more babies

New study shows rested mother elephants produce longer-lived offspring Unique dataset from 1948-2000 spanning five generations of elephants - Baby elephants have a greater chance of survival if they are born at certain times of the year, according to experts from the University of Sheffield. Elephants live in a seasonal environment, but unlike a lot of species do not have a single breeding season. However the pioneering research, which shows calves born during certain months of the year are 44 per cent more likely to survive, could prove vital to endangered Asian elephants and help to increase population numbers. Researchers from the University's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences accessed records of the life and deaths of more than 2,000 working elephants from Myanmar, Burma. The unique dataset was recorded from 1948-2000, spanning five generations of elephants - a remarkable feat considering the animals can live up to 80 years.The elephants in the data base are semi-captive animals working in the timber industry by pushing and dragging logs. The extensive study, published in Ecology and Evolution , showed that 41 per cent of elephants are born in December to March, which means they were conceived in the months February to May. During these months elephants have a rest from work every year as work stops in the hottest and driest months.