The world's smallest elephant is the Borneo pygmy, which is a sub-species of, and 30 % smaller than, the Asian elephant (<em>Elephas maximus</em>). An adult male measures 1.7-2.6 m (5 ft 6 in-8 ft 6 in) tall, whereas the female is 1.5-2.2 m (4 ft 11 in-7 ft 2 in) in height. The average estimated weight is 2,500 kg (5,500 lb). There are estimated to be more than 3,500 Bornean pygmy elephants in Borneo, Malaysia, where they were confirmed as being a separate sub-species in September 2003, following DNA research funded by the World Wildlife Fund.

This officially increases the number of sub-species of the Asian elephant to four, along with Sri Lankan, Indian and Sumatran.

The tusks (in the males only) measure 0.5 - 1.7 m (1 ft 6 in-5 ft 6 in) long and weigh up to 15 kg (33 lb).