Rev

A short (<1 second="" tonal="" vocalization="" that="" is="" almost="" always="" followed="" by="" a="" rumble="" without="" an="" exhalation="" the="" rev="" has="" harmonic="" structure="" and="" appearance="" similar="" to="" short="" but="" its="" fundamental="" frequency="" 50-90="" hz="" significantly="" higher="" revs="" are="" very="" rarely="" heard="" in="" wild="" little="" known="" about="" their="" usage="" p="">

References: Leong et al 2003; Poole 2011. (Full reference list)

 

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Affiliative, Calf Reassurance & Protection

Rev

Context: Affiliative (1)

Another adult female in the group walks toward Lorato and Mama Little E and Mama Little E displays Head-Raising and Ear-Lifting in a typical Little-Greeting posture. We can hear a Rev-like sound by her and then, another immediately after by the female in the foreground who approached her and also Head-Raises and Ear-Lifts. Normally this would be associated with rumbling, but we see no evidence of this. They stand side-by-side, but it is also clear that this is a Supplant.

The older female came very purposefully and displaced Mama Little E from where she was feeding. As this goes on Lorato looks after Little E. Note that we have called this a Rev since the sounds came from the elephants' mouths not from their trunks. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Rev

Context: Calf Reassurance & Protection (1)

Little E is 14 days old and is being looked after by Lorato, who has been playing with him and trying to Mount him. As she walks with him she sees us and touches him Trunk-to-Mouth. Little E making a Snorting Revving sort of sound that appears to come from his mouth rather than his trunk. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)