Chin-Out

An elephant Standing with its “chin” or face stretched outward toward another elephant he or she is facing making the neck appear elongated and the head higher. This is an anticipatory posture and the elephant is typically Standing and Waiting for a response. Often observed in the context of Sparring or during an Escalated-Contest. A sudden thrusting of the Chin-Out often initiates a new round of contact.

References: Poole & Granli 2004. (Full reference list)

This behavior occurs in the following context(s): Aggressive, Social Play, Submissive

Chin-Out

Context: Social Play (1)

Adult males gm0016 and gm0049 are Sparring. Smaller male gm0049 adopts an expectant Chin-Out and Reach-Toward gm0016 posture as he awaits or initiates the next round. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Chin-Out

Context: Social Play (2)

Adult males G7 and gm0016 are Sparring. Smaller male gm0016 adopts an expectant Chin-Out posture as he awaits or initiates the next round. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Chin-Out

Context: Social Play (3)

Adult males gm0016 and gm0045 are Sparring. Smaller male gm0045 adopts an expectant Chin-Out posture as he awaits or initiates the next round. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Chin-Out

Context: Social Play (4)

A young male wants to Spar with another and walks toward him with Chin-Out. The challenge, or invitation, is accepted and the two Spar. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Chin-Out

Context: Aggressive (1)

Two males are engaged in a long Escalated-Contest. In this section the male with the longer tusks has the upper hand. He makes several Advances-Toward the male with the shorter tusks and adopts Periscope-Trunk with his Chin-Out. (Gorongosa, Mozambique)

Chin-Out

Context: Aggressive (2)

This is an excerpt from an Escalated Contest between two males that lasted close to three hours. At this stage they have already engaged in 3 bouts of Dueling. During this particular clip the aggressor - the male on the right Advances-Toward the male on the left and there is a stand-off, neither one willing to fully take on the other. The broken tusked male is the more aggressive, but the male on the left looks slightly larger and stands in an expectant posture with his Chin-Out. His Chin-Out posture than changes to a Stand-Tall. When he takes two steps toward the broken-tusked male, the broken-tusked male Backs-Away and Head-Shakes. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Chin-Out

Context: Aggressive (3)

This is a short section of a close to three hour Escalated-Contest between these two males. Up until this point the broken-tusked male (on the right) has had the help of an older male who has intervened each time he needed help. Now the older male has reconciled with the long-tusked competitor (on the left) and left and the broken-tusked male is on his own. Here he catches up with the longer tusked male. The longer-tusked male Advances-Toward him with Chin-Out and the broken-tusked male is forced to Back-Away. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Chin-Out

Context: Aggressive (4)

This is a short section of a close to three hour Escalated-Contest between these two males. Up until this point the broken-tusked male (on the right) has had the help of an older male who has intervened each time he needed help. Now the older male has reconciled with the long-tusked competitor (on the left) and departed and the broken-tusked male is on his own. Here he catches up with the longer tusked male. The longer-tusked male has access to a mud-wallow and is confident enough to stand on lower ground. Notice how he adopts a Chin-Out posture when engages with broken-tusks. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Chin-Out

Context: Aggressive (5)

Two males are nearing the end of an almost 3 hour Escalated-Contest during which the broken tusked male has had help from an older male who intervened on 5 occasions. The older male has now departed and the tables have turned. After three hours they are in need of cooling down and the longer tusked male has dominated access to various mud-wallows and has just taken this one away from the broken tusked male. Notice the Chin-Out posture he uses to threaten the broken tusked male, forcing him to Back-Away. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Chin-Out

Context: Aggressive (6)

This is the last interaction of an almost 3 hour Escalated-Contest during which the broken tusked male has had help from an older male who intervened on 5 occasions. The older male has now departed and the tables have turned and the longer tusked male has the upper hand. He Advances-Toward the broken-tusked male in a Chin-out posture - and times this is so exaggerated as to be technically a Bow-Neck-Advance-Toward. Their interaction in rather gentle now and they almost Spar both reaching Trunk-to-Mouth. And then they seem to call a truce and go their separate ways with the longer tusked male the winner of the Escalated-Contest. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Chin-Out

Context: Aggressive (7)

Amparo is at the end of estrus. The day before she Mated with musth male Pascal. She has just Mated with a medium sized male whom she is standing beside. She is approached by a young male who has been threatening and harassing her and she has sought protection from the slightly larger male. She Advances-Toward the young male Chin-Out and he Orients-Toward her. She Touches-Self and then adopts Periscope-Trunk. Both Ear-Fold at each other. The male reaches toward her Trunk-to-Mouth and she reciprocates. As she does he Lunges at her and they Tusk-Clank, still Ear-Folding. They both Back-Away from one another. (Amboseli, Kenya)

Chin-Out

Context: Submissive (1)

Six males are standing around estrous female, Nastya. The youngest male has Backed-Toward a larger male in a cozy fashion as if he is confident that he won't be Pushed or Tusked - as if they know one another, perhaps related. A new male arrives in the group and the young male puts his Chin-out in anticipation. He stands with a Foot-Forward, then he puts his Chin-Out again. He gives a couple of Head-Dips and reaches Trunk-Toward to touch the other male, again with Chin-Out. He stands with Chin-Out and Foot-Forward. Then he Backs-Toward the older male again. (Amboseli, Kenya)