15. K strategist

Victory at last! We waited 15 minutes in the
rain for a picture with this guy.

Definition: A K strategist is a population of a species that stays at or near the carrying capacity of the environment. These species give birth to fewer offspring and tend to have longer life spans than R strategists.

What the specimen is: This is an Asian elephant. The scientific name for this species is Elephas maximus. 

Where we found it: This guy is from the Indian exhibit of the LA Zoo. 

How it relates to K strategist: Like K strategists, elephants give birth to few offspring and have long life spans. The gestation period for elephants is usually around 2 years. Specifically, it takes 18 to 22 months from conception to the birth of a single calf. The mother does not mate again until the calf is fully weaned. This takes about 5 years. Elephants also have a life span of around 60 years in the wild.