Elephants use vocalizations for both long and short distance communication. Whereas the acoustic repertoire of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) has been extensively studied in its savannah habitat, very little is known about the structure and social context of the vocalizations of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), which is mostly found in forests. In this study, the vocal repertoire of wild Asian elephants in southern India was examined. The calls could be classified into four mutually exclusive categories, namely, trumpets, chirps, roars, and rumbles, based on quantitative analyses of their spectral and temporal features. One of the call types, the rumble, exhibited high structural diversity, particularly in the direction and extent of frequency modulation of calls. Juveniles produced three of the four call types, including trumpets, roars, and rumbles, in the context of play and distress. Adults produced trumpets and roars in the context of disturbance, aggression, and play. Chirps were typically produced in situations of confusion and alarm. Rumbles were used for contact calling within and among herds, by matriarchs to assemble the herd, in close-range social interactions, and during disturbance and aggression. Spectral and temporal features of the four call types were similar between Asian and African elephants.
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November 2009
November 05 2009
Vocalizations of wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus): Structural classification and social context
Smita Nair;
Smita Nair
Centre for Ecological Sciences,
Indian Institute of Science
, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
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Rohini Balakrishnan;
Rohini Balakrishnan
a)
Centre for Ecological Sciences,
Indian Institute of Science
, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
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Chandra Sekhar Seelamantula;
Chandra Sekhar Seelamantula
Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka 560 012, India,
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R. Sukumar
R. Sukumar
Centre for Ecological Sciences,
Indian Institute of Science
, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
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a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: rohini@ces.iisc.ernet.in
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 126, 2768–2778 (2009)
Article history
Received:
November 26 2008
Accepted:
August 15 2009
Citation
Smita Nair, Rohini Balakrishnan, Chandra Sekhar Seelamantula, R. Sukumar; Vocalizations of wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus): Structural classification and social context. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1 November 2009; 126 (5): 2768–2778. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.3224717
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