Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth

Opening the mouth while touching it to another elephant’s mouth who is also displaying Open-Mouth. This behavior may be displayed by adult females during Greetings and Coalition Building, during High-Fiving, and by all age/sex classes during bouts of Sparring.

References: Poole & Granli 2021. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Advertisement & Attraction, Affiliative, Coalition Building, Social Play

Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth

Context: Social Play (1)

Adult males gm0016 and gm0049 engage in a bout of Sparring which includes Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth

Context: Social Play (2)

Adult males G7 and gm0016 engage in a bout of Sparring which includes Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth

Context: Social Play (3)

Adult males G7 and gm0045 engage in a bout of Sparring which includes Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth

Context: Social Play (4)

Adult males G7 and gm0045 engage in a bout of Sparring which includes Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth

Context: Social Play (5)

Adult male gm0049 and large adult female gf0061 engage in a bout of Sparring which includes Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth

Context: Coalition Building (1)

An End-Zone-Dance is a form of Bonding-Ceremony that takes place after a defensive action. This End-Zone-Dance took place after multiple Group-Advances and multiple Group- and sustained Charges led by members of the Mabenzi family.

After Valente's almost two minute Charge which was joined by the entire family, Valente and Mwana Nzo High-Five and others all gather in an End-Zone-Dance. The main players, Valente and Mwana-Nzo Rumble with Open-Mouths, while they display Rapid-Ear-Flapping, Head-Raising, Tail-Raising, and Defecating, while others join in. They reach their trunks to one another's mouth, Trunk-to-Mouth, and then display Trunk-Twining, Open-Mouth-to-Open-Mouth. Intermittently there are Social-Trumpets by other members of the family. Then Mwana Nzo initiates another Group-Advance. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)