Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) dust bathe in response to an increase in environmental temperature.

Rees, PA

Abstract

(1) A captive herd of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) exhibited dusting behaviour when the maximum daily temperature exceeded approximately 13oC, and dusting frequency increased directly with the environmental temperature. (2) Individual animals showed variation in dusting frequency but this was not related to body mass, suggesting that the function of dusting is not primarily thermoregulatory. (3) Synchronisation in the timing of dusting behaviour within the herd suggests that it may have a function in the maintenance of social cohesion. (4) The function of dusting behaviour could not be determined from the data presented, but it may be involved in skin care, protection from insects or other parasites, temperature control, protection from radiation or some combination of these.

Citation

Rees, P. (2001). Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) dust bathe in response to an increase in environmental temperature. Journal of Thermal Biology, 27(5), 353-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4565%2801%2900100-0

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Dec 30, 2001
• Deposit Date: Oct 9, 2007
• Journal: Journal of Thermal Biology
• Print ISSN: 0306-4565
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 353-358
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4565%2801%2900100-0