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African Elephant Social Groups and Communication
- 1. Elephant Social Groups & Communication Catherine Mason Vertebrate Zoology Lab Report E
- 2. Background: Classification Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Eutheria Order: Porboscidea Family: Elphantidea Genus: Loxodonta Species: Loxonsonta Africana (African bush elephant) Species: Loxondonta cyclotis (African forest elephant)
- 3. Background: Location (Obviously) Not native to Arkansas Native to Africa Habitat is dwindling Bush Elephant: savannah and plains Forest Elephant: equatorial forests Diet is mainly leaf matter Will also consume fruit and bark Photo Credit: World Wildlife Foundation
- 4. Background: Appearance Largest land animal Can be up to 3.5m high and 7m long Weigh up to 6 tons Modified incisors or tusks Valued for their ivory Subject to poaching Large ears help radiate heat Photo credit: World Wildlife Foundation
- 5. Elephants as Mammals Just like all mammals elephants have… hair teeth In the elephant’s case they move into place horizontally Internal fertilization Highly developed brain Endothermic Mammary glands Photo credit: zoonation.org
- 6. Group Dynamic Groups are called “fluid” May change or interact with other groups Herds made up of mothers and their offspring Individuals demonstrate own unique personalities Introverts and extroverts Popular and unpopular individuals Ruled by a Matriarch Usually the oldest and/or largest female Photo credit: World Wildlife Foundation Mom young
- 7. Hierarchy of Relationships Family is the base of society Herd is a group of related females and young Females together raise the young Males will go off on their own at maturity Demonstrate high degree of cooperation and coordination Photo credit: World Wildlife Foundation
- 8. Hierarchy of Relationships Bond Group About 5 families or 50ish individuals All loosely related to each other Close friendship and will recognize each other for years Mourn the death of friends too Photo credit: US Fish and Wildlife Services
- 9. Hierarchy of Relationships Clan Families that wait out the dry season together Means they share resources like food and water cooperatively Clans and Bond groups can split up Usually happens when they get too large Or when the matriarch dies Or because of environmental factors Limited food or water sources
- 10. Communication Communicate via Infrasound Tones below what humans can hear About 21 Hz Calls travel great distances Maybe assist in locating others React differently to calls from strangers Suggests that they can recognize friends Photo credit: schoolforchampions.com Ranges of Hearing (Hz)
- 11. Watch for yourself… courtesy of BBC Earth and WILD NATURE
- 12. Sources http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Loxodonta/classification/ http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/elephants/african_elephants/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120803103421.htm http://www.animalbehavioronline.com/elephants.html