Floppy-Running

Elephant(s) ‘running’ with a loose, floppy gait, shaking a lowered head from side-to-side, letting ears flap against the neck (Head-Waggling) and curling the tail up in Tail-Raising. Floppy-Running is often associated with trumpeting - in particular the Pulsated-Trumpet and Nasal-Trumpet.

References: Moss 1988; Poole 1996: 154-155, Poole & Granli 2003; Poole & Granli 2004; Poole & Granli 2011. (Full reference list)

This behavioral constellation includes the following behaviors: Head-Waggling, Nasal-Trumpet, Pulsated-Trumpet, Tail-Raising and occurs in the following context(s): Social Play

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (1)

This example shows an aggregation of elephants coming in from Amboseli’s Olodare area. At the road one of the elephants may have gotten frightened by a tourist vehicle, but that quickly transformed into an excuse for Floppy-Running en masse - adults and young alike. Several engage in Pulsated-Play-Trumpets. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (2)

Males and females, adolescents and adults, are playing in the bushes along a lugga. As the clip starts an adolescent female comes up the bank into view. She moves past the car in a Floppy-Run, emitting Pulsated-Play-Trumpets, crashing through the bushes, kicking vegetation with her feet (Bush-Bashing). Her eyes are wide (Eyes-Wide) and she is Tail-Raising. She adopts a floppy Bow-Neck-Charge as she makes a dash past the car and back into the bushes. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (3)

An adolescent male Floppy-Runs at the car he lowers his head adopting a floppy-bodied Bow-Neck-Charge position and shakes his head from side to side displaying Head-Waggling. As he charges he Play-Trumpets. One of the filmmakers is concerned that this is a real charge and is concerned so there is a lot of talking. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (4)

Two 1 year old calves play together chasing one another at a Floppy-Run in and out of the Croton bushes Bush-Bashing and Standing-Tall and making Pulsated-Play-Trumpets. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (5)

A group of young males are Floppy-Running at play in the trees. Note their raised tails (Tail-Raising), raised ears (Ear-Lifting) and loose, floppy gait as they through the forest. Floppy-Running is accompanied by Play-Trumpets, Nasal-Play-Trumpets and Pulsated-Play-Trumpets. Unfortunately there is no audio for this clip. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (6)

A calf engages in Head-Shaking and then Floppy-Running as it joins another in a game. Notice the several Kick-Backs at the tuft of grass. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (7)

A large group of young males, calves and juveniles are playing in a waterhole. The older females have departed. One of them gives a Contact-Call and we see an immediate response from those still swimming. Most begin to gravitate to the edge. Most of the calves leave but then 2 minutes later one of them comes back giving Pulsated-Trumpets and Floppy-Running into view. She runs to the edge and uses her forelegs to splash water and Kicks-Back before splashing back into it. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (8)

A large group of elephants is Floppy-Running to catch up with another group of elephants ahead of them. They are Tail-Raising and giving Pulsated- and Nasal-Trumpets. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (9)

A juvenile male is Floppy-Running to join others in a game of Imaginary Enemies in the consimilus grass. We can hear the others Trumpeting in the background. The male runs toward us and when we turn the car around to film the others and he Floppy-Runs alongside our car. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (10)

An adult female has been going nutty for a while now - first in the water and now on land. She engages in Floppy-Running and a game of what we call 'Imaginary Enemies.' She walks and runs back and forth, her tail raised and her head alternatively lowered as if about to scoop something in the long grass up in her tusks or raised high - Standing-Tall and looking down over her tusks at her imagined enemies. As she runs back and forth she occasionally waggles her head. We also hear a faint trumpet over the din coming from the bathing elephants between us. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Floppy-Running

Context: Social Play (11)

This is a second scene of an adult female who has been going nutty for a while now - first in the water and now on land. She engages in Floppy-Running and a game of what we call 'Imaginary Enemies.' She walks and runs back and forth, her tail raised and her head alternatively lowered as if about to scoop something in the long grass up in her tusks or raised high - Standing-Tall and looking down over her tusks at her imagined enemies. As she runs back and forth she occasionally waggles her head.

We also hear a faint trumpet over the din coming from the bathing elephants between us. At the end she bends down and Tusks-Ground. (Amboseli, Kenya)