Ear-Spreading

Standing or moving with the ears fully extended at ~90 degrees from body. An elephant normally holds its ears in a relaxed position such that they rest approximately 10-30 cm from the side of the body. In this relaxed position the ears do not appear stiff or tense, lifted, spread, or pressed against the body.

Elephants may Ear-Spread when facing an opponent, predator or presumed threat, presumably for the purpose of appearing larger. Elephants may also spread their ears when they are Listening, surprised, alarmed or otherwise aroused. All age sex groups engage in Ear-Spreading.

References: Kühme 1961; Douglas-Hamilton 1972: ch 6; McKay 1973; Poole & Granli 2003; Poole & Granli 2011; O’Connell-Rodwell et al 2011 [Ear-Extension, Ears held out]. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Aggressive, Ambivalent, Attacking & Mobbing, Attentive, Calf Reassurance & Protection, Conflict & Confrontation, Social Play, Vigilance

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (1)

gm0032 is reacting to the vehicle, Ear-Spreading and reaching his Trunk-Toward to sniff us. In slo-mo. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (2)

gm0016 suddenly gets spooked by the presence of the vehicle and moves away while Standing-Tall and Ear-Spreading, his Chin-Up and pausing to Look-At the vehicle. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (3)

gm0009 responds to the vehicle by moving away and Standing-Tall -and Ear-Spreading, with his Chin-Up while he Looks-At us. With is lame hind leg he likely has reason to feel apprehensive. He Touches-Self. Toward the end of the clip he takes hold of a branch and looks to be about to Throw-Debris at us, but instead drops it. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (4)

G7 threatens the car by Standing-Tall, Ear-Spreading, while he Looks-At us with Chin-Up. Note that he also does a Head-Dip-Touch-Ground. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (5)

G7 arrives and finds Kate filming in Greg's open jeep. He walks toward her in a threatening posture, Ear-Spreading. Then Greg moves suddenly in the car and he gets a fright, responding with a Jolt. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (6)

An adolescent male displays Ear-Spreading as he approaches and listens to the filmmakers. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (7)

A day old male infant sees the vehicle and walks toward it Standing-Tall and Ear-Spreading. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (8)

Musth male m0023 turns to threaten the filmmakers. He stands Ear-Spreading, Listening to them and contemplating them. Then he gives an Ear-Flap-Slide and walks away. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Conflict & Confrontation (9)

Musth male, Rui, stands Listening and then Advances-Toward us while Ear-Spreading. He walks to a termite mound to Attain-Higher-Ground and Stands-Tall. Notice how he does a Head-Dip-Touch-Ground before going up the mound. On the mound he stands Foot-Lifting and Ear-Spreading before he again does a Head-Dip-Touch-Ground and goes back off the mound. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Calf Reassurance & Protection (1)

Allomother, Lorato, defends Little E when he is 5 days old. She is concerned by the presence of the vehicle and exhibits Standing-Tall and Ear-Spreading as well as scraping the ground with her foot in a cross between Kick-Dust and Foot-Scuffing. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Calf Reassurance & Protection (2)

A 5.5 year old juvenile female and 1.5 year old male stand together on a termite mound. The male has been sniffing dung. The female is concerned about the filmmakers presence, but perhaps also about the dung. She reaches past dung and around his mouth and touches him gently Trunk-to-Mouth covering his mouth. Then she uses her hind foot, in a protective gesture, to Shepherd him to safety behind her and climbs to the top of the termite mound and displays Standing-Tall and Ear-Spreading, as if to protect him. Then, feeling a little silly and unsure she places her trunk in her mouth (Trunk-Sucking) and Backs-Away off the termite mound in a Bow-Neck posture and disappears behind a bush. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Calf Reassurance & Protection (3)

Little E is 16 days old. His family is trying to get across a rocky river bed. Mama Little E slips and falls and lands on Little E. Little E roars, someone snorts and females rumble and display Tail-Raising. We see V-Notch, left, and Latino (right) whirl around and Redirect-Aggression at us. Both display Ear-Spreading and Standing-Tall and they both Head-Dip-Touch-Ground as they check to see what the problem was - check out the rocks as if to see what went wrong! Latino (right) also Kicks-Dust/ Foot-Scuff. Latino and Mama Little E touch (Trunk-to-Body) Little E. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Social Play (1)

An adolescent male is pretending to be tough. He moves toward the filmmakers Ear-Spreading. His floppy body movements indicate that this is playful. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Attacking & Mobbing (1)

Two young males are on the floodplain. gm0016 lifts his hind foot (Foot-Lifting) and then turns and gives us a half-hearted Charge. Both males exhibit Ear-Spreading. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Attacking & Mobbing (2)

This is an excerpt from a long Group-Charge led by Valente, gf0013. Note Valente’s Ear-Spreading throughout. For the entire sequence check out Coalition. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Attacking & Mobbing (3)

This clip is taken from a longer sequence of behavior by the I family. As the clip starts matriarch iJunia, gf0005, has slows her Charge to a Bow-Neck-Advance-Toward. She takes the lead with her daughter Isabella, gf0038, by her side and a tiny baby in tow. Both are Ear-Spreading. Someone gives a Trumpet-Blast and iJunia Head-Dips. They stop near us and Isabella reaches Trunk-to-Mouth to iJunia. They Bunch facing us Standing-Tall, Ear-Spreading and Head-Swinging and iJunia gives a Head-Dip-Touch-Ground. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Ear-Spreading

Context: Ambivalent (3)

Fayza of the FD family has a newborn male calf. She and her family approach our vehicle as they go to water. The infant is alarmed by our presence - perhaps one of the first vehicles he has seen and engages in Ear-Spreading and Foot-Lifting. The Foot-Lifting is repeated in a rather dramatic way many times with both front and hind feet and sometimes with two feet at a time. (Amboseli, Kenya)