ETHOGRAM TABLE

The Elephant Ethogram

Adorn-Body

Using the trunk to place or throw vegetation or an object onto the top of the head, neck or back. In some instances such "adornment" may be a consequence of foraging, for instance if an elephant submerges in a swamp and comes up under a clump of vegetation, it may end up lodged on its head or back. In other cases, the adornment is clearly purposeful as the elephant is seen to place the object on its body and work to keep it in position with its ears or trunk, and may replace it if it falls off.

References: Poole & Granli 2021. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Ambivalent, Birth, Conflict & Confrontation, Foraging & Comfort Technique, Lone & Object Play, Social Play

Adorn-Body

Context: Lone and Object-Play (1)

An adult female has dislodged a clump of Sporobolis consimilus or elephant grass and used her trunk to throw it onto her back. Once there she pulls on a stem of grass to get it into the right location on her shoulder blades and then balances it with continual small movements of her ears.

After some time she pulls it to one side and appears to wait for something to happen. It doesn't fall off. She uses her ears again, this time to knock the clump off her head. It falls to the ground and again she grabs the clump by a few stems and throws it onto her back. It lands on one side and she holds it in place with her left ear. She Waits apparently Contemplating. Then she takes a step and releases her ear and the clump falls to the ground. She walks off. (Amboseli, Kenya)