Trunk-Suction

Apparently blocking the end of the trunk and then forcefully sucking or blowing air into the sinues such that the sides of the trunk collapse inward or bulge outward, as if a vaccum of sorts has been created. An audible sound may sometimes be heard as air is moved about in the nasal passages. Two examples we have are of musth males where this behavior seems to be part of a display and perhaps a prelude to a Musth-Rumble, while another is a male who has been engaged in elaborate testing of a female that involved putting his trunk inside her vagina and sucking. It is possible that this is what elephants are doing when they make the sound we call a Squelch.

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

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Advertisement & Attraction, Foraging & Comfort Technique

Trunk-Suction

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (1)

Pascal is in full musth. He has stopped to mudsplash. Here we see him suck mud into his trunk and Trunk-Squirt it into the orifice of his ear with a loud splat. He then uses his trunk to work the mud around in he ear opening. He goes back to sucking mud into his trunk and making Trunk-Squelching type sounds as he elongates and squeezes his trunk in a Trunk-Suction. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Suction

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (2)

Pascal is in full musth. He has just Advanced-Toward us in a Casual-Stance and threatened me with Ear-Waves and Musth-Rumbles and Foot-Scuffing. Now he stands very close and engages in three bouts of Trunk-Suction pausing to Musth-Rumble and Ear-Wave at us. The Trunk-Suction seems to be part of his musth display as it has not other obvious purpose. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Trunk-Suction

Context: Advertisement & Attraction (3)

A female with assymetrical tusks is coming into estrus and is being followed by a medium sized male who is testing her Trunk-to-Genitals. While we have often observed a male put the tip of his trunk inside a female's genitals, we have not documented a male so actively do so with such an audible sucking sound. After doing this several times the male stands engaged in Trunk-Suction and then gives a vigorous spray - as if emptying all that he had sucked into his trunk from the female's genitalia. (Amboseli, Kenya)