Trunk-Dragging

An elephant dragging the distal and outer portion of a curled trunk on the ground making a rasping sound; often leaves a continuous or intermittent snake-like mark on the ground. Musth males, particularly, may drag their trunks along the ground for long distances (3 kilometers has been observed) when Walking or Tracking another elephant; musth males and elephants of both sexes may drag their trunks on the ground as a threat at very close range.

References: Kahl & Armstrong 2002; Poole & Granli 2003; Poole & Granli 2011 [Trunk-Bounce-Drag]. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Advertisement & Attraction, Aggressive, Attacking & Mobbing

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (1)

Viajante is acting as if he is in musth. He walks away from a mud wallow Trunk-Dragging and looks to be Tracking. He makes a little Ear-Wave type movement. Then he stops to Listen and J-Sniff. After the end of the clip he continues and Rubs on a tree and while doing so he does a series of Trunk-Bounce like movements. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (2)

The Mabenzi family and males, including Gogogo in musth, are in view. Gogogo Sniff-Ground where a juvenile female Urinated. When he is finished he follows the family group Trunk-Bounce-Dragging as he walks. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (3)

Little Male is in musth. He is with a group with an adult female who is going into or out of estrus. He is interested in her and her urine. Other males in the background are also interested in her.

As the clip begins he walks toward us to investigate her urine. As he walks over he engages in Trunk-Curl and Trunk-Dragging and then stops to Sniff-Urine. Then he adopts a Casual-Stance and walks over to threaten us Trunk-Dragging, Musth-Rumbling, Ear-Waving and increased Urine-Dribbling. He Backs-Away doing more of the same. Then he stands Urine-Dribbling and Contemplating - Listening and sniffing. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (4)

Little Male is in musth. He is with a group with an adult female who is going into or out of estrus. He is interested in her and her urine. Other males in the background are also interested in her.

As the clip begins he stands Urine-Dribbling and Contemplating - Listening and sniffing. After this pause he comes to threaten us Trunk-Dragging, Musth-Rumbling, Ear-Waving and increased Urine-Dribbling. He Backs-Away Urine-Dribbling and Trunk-Curling. He sniffs his own urine drops and puts his trunk in his mouth. He stands Contemplating. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (5)

Pascal is in musth and is mud-splashing and drinking. As he leaves the water hole he walks with slight Foot-Scuffing (Note the way his left front leg is stiffened) and he Trunk-Drags, Ear-Waves and Musth-Rumbles at us. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (6)

Pascal is in full musth. He has been Listening and Musth-Rumbling in and beside a water hole. Now he has begun feeding. He keeps pausing in his feeding to Listen. In this clip he pauses to Listen, takes another trunkful and then walks forward Foot-Scuffing, Trunk-Tragging, and then Musth-Rumbles and Ear-Waves. We know, in retrospect, that he is about to meet musth male Emo and likely knows Emo is close by. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (7)

Pascal is in full musth. He has been Listening and Musth-Rumbling in and beside a water hole and while feeding on grass. In this clip he begins to walk, Trunk-Dragging and Musth-Rumbles and Ear-Waves. He reaches his Trunk-Toward and sniffs the air. Then he raises it to a Periscope-Trunk. We know, in retrospect, that he is about to meet musth male Emo and likely knows Emo is close by.

We are so focused on Pascal that we don't see Emo coming! After Periscope-Trunk he drops his trunk over his temporal glands in a half-hearted Head-Toss and then lets it fall onto his tusk in a Casual-Stance. He pivots 90 degrees and begins a more pronounced Musth-Walk. He has seen Emo. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (8)

As Pascal walks past our car he Musth-Rumbles, Ear-Waves and Trunk-Drags. He is Urine-Dribbling at rate 7. He shows extreme Temporal-Gland-Swelling and Fresh-4 Temporal-Gland-Secretion. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (9)

Pascal has been Tracking a family of elephants and had paused to Listen a couple of times and to Flehmen. Then he moved on but stopped again to Listen. He stood for a very long time Listening and Contemplating.

This clip starts at the end of his Listening. He begins to move Trunk-Dragging and with a rather stiff gait that we have seen him use before (almost a''peg-leg'' movement with his left foreleg, and then Ear-Waves and Musth-Rumbles and walks on. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Dragging

Context: Courtship (1)

Conor is following Jolie of the JB family who is coming into estrus. He follows her with a Musth-Walk, Trunk-Dragging as he goes. (Amboseli, Kenya)