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The Sexually Active States of Free-Ranging Male African Elephants

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The Sexually Active States of Free-Ranging Male African Elephants Hormones and Behavior 47 (2005) 83–91 www.elsevier.com/locate/yhbeh The sexually active states of free-ranging male African elephants (Loxodonta africana): defining musth and non-musth using endocrinology, physical signals, and behavior Andre´ Ganswindta,*, Henrik B. Rasmussenb,c, Michael Heistermanna, J. Keith Hodgesa aDepartment of Reproductive Biology, German Primate Centre, 37077 Go¨ttingen, Germany bSave the elephants, Nairobi, Kenya cDepartment of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, England Received 17 March 2004; revised 10 June 2004; accepted 13 September 2004 Available online 22 October 2004 Abstract Musth in male African elephants, Loxodonta africana, is associated with increased aggressive behavior, continuous discharge of urine, copious secretions from the swollen temporal glands, and elevated androgen levels. During musth, bulls actively seek out and are preferred by estrous females although sexual activity is not restricted to the musth condition. The present study combines recently established methods of fecal hormone analysis with long-term observations on male-female associations as well as the presence and intensity of physical signals to provide a more detailed picture about the physical, physiological, and behavioral characteristics of different states of sexual activity in free- ranging African elephants. Based on quantitative shifts in individual bull association patterns, the presence of different physical signals, and significant differences in androgen levels, a total of three potential sub-categories for sexually active bulls could be established. The results demonstrate that elevations in androgen levels are only observed in sexually active animals showing temporal gland secretion and/or urine dribbling, but are not related to the age of the individual. Further, none of the sexually active states showed elevated glucocorticoid output indicating that musth does not represent an HPA-mediated stress condition. On the basis of these results, we suggest that the term bmusthQ should be exclusively used for the competitive state in sexually active male elephants and that the presence of urine dribbling should be the physical signal used for defining this state. D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: African elephant; Loxodonta africana; Sexual activity; Musth; Reproductive strategy; Stress; Androgens; Glucocorticoids; Feces; Non-invasive methodologies Introduction periods when they predominantly associate with females (Poole, 1987, 1989b). During sexually active periods, Male African elephants leave their natal families at the individuals sometimes enter into a state known as musth onset of puberty around 12–15 years of age (Poole, 1989b, (Hall-Martin, 1987; Poole, 1987, 1994; Poole and Moss, 1994). From this point in time, they live in a highly 1981), a condition initially recognized in adult Asian bulls dynamic world of changing sexual state, rank, associations, in captivity (e.g., Eggeling, 1901), but now also known to and behavior. Most of the time they live alone or in small occur in the African species (Poole and Moss, 1981). groups with other males, except during sexually active Musth in African elephants was originally defined by Poole, based on the presence of a combination of two main physical signals; secretion from the temporal glands (TGS) * Corresponding author. Department of Reproductive Biology, German Primate Centre, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Gfttingen, Germany. Fax: +49 551 and urine dribbling (UD) (Poole, 1982, 1987). In addition 3851288. to TGS and UD, a sharp rise in aggressive behavior as well E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Ganswindt). as a number of more subtle changes in displays and posture 0018-506X/$ - see front matter D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.09.002 84 A. Ganswindt et al. / Hormones and Behavior 47 (2005) 83–91 (see Kahl and Armstrong, 2002) have also been assigned to Although Poole et al. (1984) have reported on androgen musth. Musth is also known to be associated with levels in sexually active non-musth bulls, data are limited restlessness and reduced feeding activities (Poole, 1982, (five individuals, single samples) and values obtained 1989a) and physiologically, with elevated androgen levels showed the full range from those in sexually inactive bulls (Hall-Martin, 1987; Poole et al., 1984; Rasmussen et al., to those in musth. Thus, in terms of androgen levels, it 1996) and an additional definition of musth based on the remains unclear if and how sexually active non-musth bulls occurrence of a threshold level of testosterone in serum has can be differentiated from individuals in musth. Addition- been proposed (Rasmussen et al., 1996). ally, it would be interesting to know if animals showing The occurrence and duration of musth periods (defined TGS only differ in their androgen concentrations from those by TGS and UD) are positively correlated with age (Poole, showing UD. Another point of interest, which remains to be 1987, 1989b). This, combined with the increase in addressed in free-ranging animals, is whether either of the aggression towards competitors and elevated androgen reproductively active states is associated with increased levels, suggests that musth is a special age-related form adrenal activity. For female African elephants, it has been of sexual activity in which the individual is in a highly shown that limited access to food and water, which leads to competitive mode. The existence of such age related a decline in body condition, is associated with an increase in changes in reproductive strategy in elephants would, in adrenal endocrine function resulting in elevated glucocorti- fact, make sense, since in a system in which post-mature coid levels (Foley et al., 2001). Since the competitive growth and size-dependent competition for mates exist, a condition of musth is known to be associated with increased competitive strategy like musth would not be expected to restlessness and reduced feeding activities, which often pay before late in life (Whitehead, 1994). The age-related- leads to a significant weight reduction and progressive loss ness of the signals used to define musth, however, raises the of condition (Barnes, 1982; Poole, 1982, 1989a), it would possibility that other, behavioral and/or endocrine changes be reasonable to assume that musth may be associated with commonly associated with these signals, may in part be an elevation in glucocorticoid output. related to the age of the sexually active individual rather In this paper, we use a combination of quantified than exclusively to the occurrence of musth itself. Indeed, association preferences, age, as well as the presence and in a study by Poole et al. (1984), high levels of androgens, intensity of physical signals to establish reliable categories comparable to those showed by animals in musth, were to provide a more detailed picture about the physical and found in some of the sampled individuals assumed to be behavioral characteristics of the different states occurring sexually active but not showing musth signals. Thus, within within periods of sexual activity. Further, we examine if the context of sexual activity, bfullQ musth and sexually the different existing reproductive conditions are associ- active non-musth could represent end points in a continuum ated with quantitative differences in androgen excretion with a graduate onset of signal presence and intensity and finally, whether states of sexual activity represent a linked to age, rather than being distinct states. A combined form of physiological stress for free-ranging male African analysis of the degree and occurrence of the various elephants. physical signals in relation to age, physiology, and behavior is needed in order to understand the link between these various factors. Although it is widely accepted that musth Materials and methods plays an important part within the reproductive context (Kahl and Armstrong, 2002; Rasmussen and Schulte, Study area and population 1998), its occurrence is not an explicit requirement for male mating ability, since non-musth bulls are known to The study area is situated in and around the Samburu and mate successfully and have comparable sperm quality Buffalo Springs National Reserves, Kenya, approximately (Hall-Martin, 1987; Poole, 1989b; Rasmussen and Schulte, 80 km north of the equator on longitude 378 East. It covers 1998). Thus, at least two different reproductive strategies approximately 10,000 km2 of which less than 10% are appear to exist in African elephants, namely musth and within national parks or reserves. The area consists of low- sexually active non-musth. To date however, the majority of lying semi-arid rangeland along the Ewaso Ngiro River, the research on male African elephant reproduction has only semi-permanent river in the area. The region is dry and concentrated (almost exclusively) on the state of musth hot throughout most of the year with the average 350 mm of and limited information is available on the characteristics of rain mainly falling during April/May and November/ the sexually active non-musth state. An unquantified December. The total elephant population within the Sam- increase in degree of association with females in the buru/Laikipia ecosystem is estimated to number around absence of musth signs is the only manifestation for the 5000 individuals and is the largest free ranging elephant sexually active non-musth condition described so far population in Kenya occurring mainly outside protected
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