Elephant family, with male
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| Common name | Elephant, African |
| Scientific name | Loxodonta africana |
| Taxonomic group | Elephantidae |
| Source | Dan L. Perlman |
| Ecosystems | Grasslands, savannas |
| Grasslands and savannas | Tropical savanna |
| Behavior | Social; Parental |
| Organisms | Animals |
| Animals | Mammals |
| Lessons | Social Behavior |
| Date | July 31, 2003 |
| Location | Near Tarangire National Park,Tanzania,Africa |
Elephant family group, near Tarangire National Park, Tanzania (image 2 of 2). Elephants form close-knit, long-lasting family groups consisting of adult females and young of both sexes. A matriarch, the oldest female of the group and typically the mother or grandmother of the others in the group, is the leader and serves as the institutional memory for the group, leading them to water in the dry season and to mineral licks. Males are tolerated as group members until they become rambunctious adolescents, at which point they get kicked out of the group and spend time on their own or in bachelor herds. In this image, we see a family group of adult females and young, plus an adolescent male lurking in the background on the right. Compare it with the companion image, taken just a minute and a half earlier, when the male was out of the picture.
