Behavioural variability among captive African elephants in the use of the trunk while feeding.

ABSTRACT: The Proboscideans, an order of mammals including elephants, are the largest of the Earth lands animals. One probable consequence of the rapid increase of their body size is the development of the trunk, a multitask highly sensitive organ used in a large repertoire of behaviours. The absence of bones in the trunk allows a substantial degree of freedom for movement in all directions, and this ability could underlie individual-level strategies. We hypothesised a stronger behavioural variability in simple tasks, and a correlation between the employed behaviours and the shape and size of the food. The observations of a captive group of African elephants allowed us to create a complete catalogue of trunk movements in feeding activities. We noted manipulative strategies and impact of food item pr

SUBMITTER: Lefeuvre M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7441921 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature