Flehmen

Placing the tip of the trunk in or near a (usually) liquid substance (often urine) and then curling the trunk, raising it vertically and placing the tip on the paired orifices on the roof of the mouth leading to the vomeronasal organ. Flehmen may follow a Trunk-to-Genitals or Sniff-Urine. The vomeronasal organ plays an important role in processing chemical signals relevant to reproduction.

Juvenile, adolescent and adult males may be observed to Flehmen to female urine, estrous female urine and to both musth and non-musth male urine. Females may be observed to perform Flehmen to musth urine and to semen but this is less common.

References: Douglas-Hamilton 1972: ch 6; Rasmussen et al 1982; Rasmussen et al 1993; Rasmussen 1998; Poole & Granli 2003; Poole & Granli 2011. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Advertisement & Attraction

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (1)

A group from the C family is in view. gf0028 in the foreground joins gf0030 and gf0029 as a medium-sized male enters the frame on the right. As he Advances-Toward gf0029 she Ear-Slaps and Orients-Away and she Head-Shakes. They continue to move away and large adult tuskless female gf0004 appears in frame (and likely initiated this movement). The male stands to Flehmen before following after the group. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (2)

Matriarch, Selengei, Urinates and Defecates and walks on. A young male comes over and begins to Sniff-Urine and then puts a sample into his mouth and performs Flehmen. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (3)

This short clip is a section of a longer sequence in which a young male finds something of interest on the ground and begins Tracking. He locates it and begins to Sniff-Ground. He places his trunk in his mouth and performs Flehmen. Then he takes his trunk and, performs Trunk-Flick-Down and blows out and replaces his trunk in his mouth and performs Flehmen again. He continues Tracking. This clip shows the part where he Flehmens. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (4)

A family group is interested in something on the ground. One of the females places something in her mouth, appearing to Flehmen. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (5)

A young male walks toward an adult female (larger than he is) and sniffs her genitals (Trunk-to-Genitals). Simultaneously, an infant raises its Trunk-Toward him and touches him. The adult female Look-Back at him and Touch-Self. He puts his trunk in his mouth to Flehmen, and considers. Then he Ear-Brushes her, in a pushy rather than totally friendly way, and Forward-Trunk-Swing at her x 2 or is this a Trunk-Toward.

On the second one a tuskless adolescent (foreground right) raises Trunk-Toward him in a Forward-Trunk-Swing kind of motion, as if she is intervening to help her presumptive mother. It is as if the normally friendly Ear-Brush is compensation for what is otherwise pushy behavior by a young male. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (6)

Guarding musth male, Liaqat, engages in a bout of Flehmen at the spot where estrus female Ozora had been standing and had urinated. Notice that on each of the three times he places his trunk in his mouth his trunk fingers are pinched together as if he is holding an amount of urine between them. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (7)

These two males have been engaged in an Escalated-Contest for close to three hours. The male on the left with the broken tusks has had assistance from an older male who intervened on his behalf at least 5 times. He has engaged in very aggressive behavior toward the longer tusked male. Now near the end of the interaction the helping male has departed and the male on the right, who is just larger, is able to assert his dominance.

Minutes before this clip, the broken tusked male Urinated and Defecated at this spot and the longer tusked male has come over to test it. He Sniffs-Urine and Sniffs-Dung and then engages in Trunk-Flick-Down and Flehmen. It is possible that the broken tusked male is coming into musth for the first time, which could explain his persistent aggression - either way the other male is likely testing his sexual state or body condition. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (8)

Esau is walking along sniffing the ground. Suddenly he stops and reverses to test something on the ground. Note the little kick of his foot as he reverses. He gives a little flick of his trunk before putting his trunk in his mouth to Flehmen. He sniffs a bit more on the ground and then walks on and gives a Trunk-Flick-Down. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (9)

Esau has just discovered Nastya who has Mated and been Mounted by numerous males over the last couple of days. He stands toucher her Trunk-to-Genitals and especially on her back legs and under her tail as if he is looking for signs of semen. Then he Flehmens. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (10)

Pascal is Guarding Qadija in estrus. She has just been in this mud-wallow. Pascal test the ground and then performs Flehmen. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Flehmen

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (11)

Pascal is in musth and can be seen Urine-Dribbling. He is Tracking as he follows behind a family group. He makes a little kick movement and steps back to sniff something. He Flehmens and continues to Track. (Amboseli, Kenya)