Bruce Bagemihl - Biological Exuberance

Orientation: Some younger Asiatic Elephant males that participate in homosexual activity are bisexual, since they may direct their sexual attentions to both males and females. However, some males are probably exclusively homosexual for at least part of their lives, since many Asiatic and African males do not participate in heterosexual activity until they are much older. African Elephant males in companionships are also exclusively same-sex oriented, since they are nonbreeders.

Elephant heterosexual life is frequently characterized by segregation and even antagonism between the sexes. In Asiatic Elephants, males and females often live separate from each other: males only associate with female herds about 25—30 percent of the time, and approximately 60 percent of the herds are not accompanied by males. As described above, Elephant herd structure is matriarchal, and females have even developed alternative parenting and “baby-sitting” arrangements without the contribution of males. Asiatic Elephant mothers often leave their calves in “nursery groups” that the adult females take turns looking after, allowing the other mothers to forage on their own. Female African Elephants often look after and occasionally even suckle other calves in their matriarchal groups. Furthermore, in both African and Asiatic species males experience a periodic sexual cycle known as MUSTH. A male in musth exhibits a number of characteristic physiological and behavioral changes, including increased aggression, ear waving and head swinging, infrasonic rumbling calls, continuous urinal discharge, and secretion by the temporal glands (located on either side of the head). Musth can last a few days to several months; during this time, males tend to associate more with females, but once musth is over, they usually return to male-only groups. Among African Elephants, bulls frequent special areas during their nonmusth time where their interactions are exclusively with other males, and they sometimes form a stronger association with one or two particular bulls.

During heterosexual interactions, females may be overtly aggressive toward males. Female Asiatic Elephants, for example, often charge and chase males (especially younger ones) that are trying to mate with them. In addition, males sometimes try to mount juvenile animals, who squeal in protest until a female intervenes. In fact, it is thought that female aggressiveness toward males contributes to a significant delay in breeding in this species: although males are sexually mature when about 10 years old, most do not begin breeding until about 17 years old. Reproductive suppression also occurs in African Elephants: the onset of puberty in females may be delayed by up to 10 years in some populations as a result of social, nutritional, or physiological stresses. In addition, most males do not father their first offspring until they are 30—35 years old—this is 15—20 years after they become sexually mature. Other nonbreeding individuals include loner males (often older, postreproductive individuals), males in “companionships” (described above), as well as postreproductive or menopausal females (generally older than 50 years), and females who have nonbreeding intervals of up to 13 years between calves. Heterosexual relations are further complicated by an apparent mismatch in the structure of the male and female genitalia: unlike in most mammals, the female’s vaginal opening is placed far forward on her belly, hampering access by the male. Although his penis is able to assume a special S-shape to reach her vulva, penetration is often difficult to achieve. On occasion, the male’s organ will contact the female’s anus rather than her vulva, and he may ejaculate before achieving penetration. Heterosexual relations also often include touching and stimulation of the genitals with the trunk; in captivity, one female was also observed rubbing her clitoris against a male’s side while he was lying down.

Homosexual mounting in the Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) has been observed among adolescent females in captivity.

asterisked references discuss homosexuality/transgender

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———(1987) “Rutting Behavior in African Elephants: The Phenomenon of Musth.” Behavior 102:283— 316.

*Poole, T. B., V. J. Taylor, S. B. U. Fernando, W. D. Ratnasooriya, A. Ratnayeke, G. Lincoln, A. McNeilly, and A. M. V. R. Manatunga (1997) “Social Behavior and Breeding Physiology of a Group of Asian Elephants Elephas maximus at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka.” International Zoo Yearbook 35:297-310.

*Ramachandran, K. K. (1984) “Observations on Unusual Sexual Behavior in Elephants.” Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 81:687—88.

*Rosse, I. C. (1892) “Sexual Hypochondriasis and Perversion of the Genetic Instinct.” Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 19(11): 795—811.

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*Sikes, S. K. (1971) The Natural History of the Elephant. New York: Elsevier Publishing Co.