Elephant behaviour

Abstract

Slonovi žive u strogom socijalnom redu. Socijalni život mužjaka i ženke vrlo se razlikuju. Ženke provode cijeli život u blisko povezanim obiteljskim grupama koje se sastoje od majki, kćeri, teta i sestara. Takva grupa je predvođena najstarijom ženkom. Odrasli mužjaci, s druge strane, žive uglavnom solitarno. Bliska obitelj broji od pet do petnaest odraslih, te određen broj mladunaca, muških i ženskih. Kada grupa postane prevelika, najstarije kćeri se odvajaju i formiraju vlastito krdo. Život odraslog mužjaka se uvelike razlikuje. Kako postaje stariji, sve više vremena provodi na rubovima krda, i postupno se odvajajući satima i danima. Mužjaci provode mnogo više vremena boreći se nego ženke. Samo dominantni mužjak može oploditi ženku koja se tjera, ostali, manje dominantni moraju čekati na svoj red.Elephants live in a structured social order. The social lives of male and female elephants are very different. The females spend their entire lives in tightly knit family groups made up of mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts. These groups are led by the eldest female. Adult males, on the other hand, live mostly solitary lives. Most immediate family groups range from five to fifteen adults, as well as a number of immature males and females. When a group gets too big, a few of the elder daughters will break off and form their own small group The life of the adult male is very different. As he gets older, he begins to spend more time at the edge of the herd, gradually going off on his own for hours or days at a time. The males spend much more time than the females fighting for dominance with each other. Only the most dominant males will be permitted to breed with cycling females. The less dominant ones must wait their turn