Elephants are ecosystem engineers and play an important role in their native habitats, helping maintain the rich biodiversity of the spaces they share with other wildlife. Though elephants are native to only Africa and Asia, they hold significant cultural and symbolic meaning around the world.
Elephants in India belong to the Asiatic category . they are distinct from the African elephants . The Male elephants can be with out tusks and they are called Makhna. Most adult male elephants exhibit 'musth' ,a period of 2-3 months in a year ,characterised by a discharge of hormonal substance from their temporal glands , increase in body temperature and higher degree of testosterone levels .They exhibit aggressive and unpredictable behaviour and are usually kept away from the herd until they cool off . They could be considered dangerous around anything and anyone during this period. In the wild, female elephants live in herds, and form strongly bonded family units. Males only remain in the herd while they are young, and eventually leave to become solitary animals.
What is a Makhna elephant ?
'Makhna' is a Tamil Word, used largely in south of India and even in other places in India to describe a male or a bull elephant without their protruding tusks .
What is musth?
Musth is a completely natural phenomenon seen in healthy adult bull elephants, both tuskers and makhnas (tuskless bulls). Generally characterised by the secretion of a hormone rich substance called temporin from the temporal gland (on either side of the elephant’s head) and a steady trickle of urine down the back legs of the elephant, musth involves a rise in the reproductive hormones in the elephant’s body. This causes the animal to feel more restless, energetic, aggressive or unpredictable – and generally irritable and oversensitive to sounds and movements. Free access to water is extremely important, to allow the bull to cool down, stay hydrated and expend extra energy.
How long does musth last? Is the length and duration of musth a sign of good or bad health?
Musth typically lasts between 2-3 months and occurs in three stages – a 3-4 week premusth condition, a 4-5 week peak musth, and a 4-5 week post-musth condition.
For elephants in captivity though, the condition and its duration can vary greatly. Deprivation of food and nutrition can cause the elephant to go into musth less frequently and for shorter durations of time. For bull elephants that have easy access to nutritious food and are in good health, musth can last much longer – records of healthy bulls in captivity have shown them staying in musth for more than a year.
Young bulls generally start showing musth around 20 years of age.Musth generally continues till an elephant is about 55-60 years old. However, there is no reliable documentation of the exact average age at which elephants stop showing musth.
Is the musth secreted externally ? and where is the temporal gland ?
musth is generally characterised by the secretion of a hormone rich substance called temporin from the temporal gland (on either side of the elephant’s head) and a steady trickle of urine down the back legs of the elephant . musth involves a rise in the reproductive hormones in the elephant’s body.
The temporal gland is present on the elephants ‘temple’ area – between the eye and the ear. There is a tiny but visible perforation in the skin at the temporal gland from which a substance known as temporin is secreted when a bull is in musth. This manifests itself as a trickle of liquid down the sides of the elephant’s head, originating from the temporal gland.
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