The sexually active states of free-ranging male African elephants (Loxodonta africana): defining musth and non-musth using endocrinology, physical signals, and behavior.

Chemosignalling of musth by individual wild African elephants (Loxodonta africana): implications for conservation and management.

Elephants have extraordinary olfactory receptive equipment, yet this sensory system has been only minimally investigated in wild elephants. We present an in-depth study of urinary chemical signals emitted by individual, behaviourally characterized, wild male African elephants, investigating whether these compounds were the same, accentuated, or diminished in comparison with captive individuals....

Role of musth in the reproductive strategy of the African elephant (Loxodonta a/ricana)

Behavioural and endrocrin%gical data on African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are integrated to provide a hypothesis oj the adaptations reflected in the phenomenon of musth in bulls. Occupation oj home ranges, movements. male dominance hierarchies and intra-specific agonistic behaviour are reviewed. Bulls in musth leave their home range, travel far and jast, initiate more contacts with distant...

Endocrine correlates of musth and the impact of ecological and social 1 factors in free - ranging African elephants ( Loxodonta africana )

Endocrine correlates of musth and the impact of ecological and social factors in free-ranging African elephants (Loxodonta africana).

Sexual activity in mature male African elephants is predominantly associated with the occurrence of musth, a state or condition which refers to a set of physical, physiological and behavioral characteristics, including an elevation in androgen levels. Although musth appears to be energetically costly, the degree to which it is associated with changes in adrenal endocrine function (e.g., glucoco...

Information content and acoustic structure of male African elephant social rumbles

Until recently, the prevailing theory about male African elephants (Loxodonta africana) was that, once adult and sexually mature, males are solitary and targeted only at finding estrous females. While this is true during the state of 'musth' (a condition characterized by aggressive behavior and elevated androgen levels), 'non-musth' males exhibit a social system seemingly based on companionship...