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The Asian Elephant Series 36


The Asian Elephant Series 36
Photo Information
Copyright: Goldy RS (goldyrs) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1061 W: 57 N: 2419] (9271)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-06-14
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon S2 IS
Exposure: f/4, 1/320 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): CeltickRanger's favorite wild animal photos 2 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-10-27 3:04
Viewed: 228
Points: 58
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This lone male tusker here, was pretty young and in what we call Musth.
Musth \ˈməst\ (or, alternatively spelled, must \ˈməst\) is a periodic condition in bull elephants, characterized by highly aggressive behavior, accompanied by a large rise in reproductive hormones - testosterone levels in an elephant in musth can be as much as 60 times greater than in the same elephant at other times. However, whether this hormonal surge is the sole cause of musth, or merely a contributing factor, is unknown; scientific investigation of musth is greatly hindered because, during musth, even the most otherwise placid of elephants may try to kill any and all humans.

Cause and effects

Although it has often been speculated that musth is linked to rut, this is unlikely because the female elephant's estrus cycle is not seasonally-linked, whereas musth most often takes place in winter. Furthermore, bulls in musth have often been known to attack female elephants, regardless of whether or not the females are in heat. Connections to dominance behaviour have also been speculated.

Often, elephants in musth discharge a thick tar-like secretion called temporin from the temporal ducts on the sides of the head. Temporin remains largely uncharacterised, due to the difficulties of collecting samples for analysis; however, secretions and urine collected from zoo elephants have been shown to contain elevated levels of various highly odorous ketones and aldehydes. The elephant's aggression may be partially caused by a reaction to the temporin, which naturally trickles down into the elephant's mouth. Another contributing factor may be the accompanying swelling of the temporal glands; this presses on the elephant's eyes and causes acute pain comparable to severe root abscess toothache. One elephant behaviour to try to counteract this is to dig his tusks into the ground.


Musth is linked to sexual arousal or establishing dominance, but this relationship is far from clear. Numerous cases of elephants goring and killing rhinoceroses in national parks in Africa have been documented and attributed to musth in young male elephants, especially those growing in the absence of older males. Studies show that reintroducing older males into the elephant population of the area seems to prevent younger males from entering musth, and therefore, stop this aggressive behavior.

Etymology

The word is derived from Persian مست (mast, pronounced [mæst]), which means "intoxicated" in general, or more specifically "in heat" as in پيل مست (pīl-e-mast) meaning "sexually excited elephant" , though in the modern world the word is most commonly used in the languages of Northern India. Musthi (also spelt masti or musti), in modern usage, refers to a state of enjoyment, fun, pleasure or gratification—of any kind, experienced by humans or other creatures. In popular culture, the word is encountered frequently, in popular song lyrics, in the titles of Indian TV shows and in the titles of Bollywood movies, such as Masti (2004), and the Kannada movie Masti (2007). .
siggi, KOMSIS, roges, horias, cirano, marianas, CeltickRanger, cypturk, matatur, rousettus, maurydv, marius-secan, nglen, uleko, parasbhalla, boreocypriensis, anel, Noisette has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1382 W: 56 N: 4768] (16394)
  • [2009-10-27 3:14]

Hello MF Goldy
a great portrait of a handsome elephant! very nice composition details and background (and foreground). thanks for sharing.
Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1978 W: 6 N: 5527] (19673)
  • [2009-10-27 3:15]

Hi Goldy,one of the best point of view in your elephant's gallery,you was very close to him! Impressive sharpness and perfect saturation,my best compliments,have a nice day,LUCIANO

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3825 W: 190 N: 11396] (35111)
  • [2009-10-27 3:23]

Hello Goldy,
A great shot showing this bull Elephant taking a break during his musth period taken from a fine POV with excellent sharpness and lighting. the composition with the elephant grass is great too.
Nice one from your elephant series!
Thanks and all the best,
ivan

Hi Goldy,
High grass and walking, a big elephant ...
Color and detail, very beautiful composition.
Best wishes,
Seyfi

  • Great 
  • roges Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 614 W: 0 N: 557] (3214)
  • [2009-10-27 4:07]

Hallo Goldy,

Again a beautiful capture, congratulations. Excellent detail with some top colors. I would love to be able to get to me one day to see elephants in their natural environment.
Have a pleasant week,
Adrian

Goldy
Congratulation for this great capture!
Wonderful elephant!
Horia

Slav Goldy,
A very good capture from your Asian Elephant series.The sharpness and colors are beautiful.TFS.
Regards,
Dûrzan

  • Great 
  • joska Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 414 W: 0 N: 1030] (5550)
  • [2009-10-27 6:05]

Excellent photo, congratulations!

Ciao Goldy. Perfect sharp here like the DOF. Great details and amazinmg graphic effects from the light trought the grass.

Roberto

Lovely capture this big elephant!
Congratulation!
Mariana

hello Goldy

a great close-up photo of this great and wonderful wild animal,
shot with fine POV, superb focus great sharpness and details,

TFS

Asbed

An excellent shot of this elegant and lovely elephant Goldy.
Very impressive lighting, framing and lovely colours.
Tfs and regards,
Merih

Another pretty fellow from your rich elephant collection Goldy, the simple but natural surroundings and your rich notes make this a valuable contribution my friend. TFS it indeed!
Mehmet

hello Goldy
great capture of alone male tusker with a great focus and POV. greatly composed it in natural biotop. this famous species presents in many times. but this is one of the best.
thanks for sharing this beautiful scene, my friend
best wishes
Ahmet

Hello Goldy,
a fantastic picture of the Asian Elephant, excellent POV and composition, very good sharpness and splendid natural colours.
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

Hi Mr. Elephant,
Yes, you are the keeper of the Elephants on TN. I really like this close capture of this young bull. The fact that you got so close and that it seems you were standing in the tall grass is amazing. The details in the skin are wonderful. Your choise of the aperture allowed for some wonderful OOF details in the FG which gives that feeling of beeing close even stronger.
TFS,
Niek

Hello Goldy,
Excellent image, wonderful colours and a very nice composition.
Superb sharpness and lighting.
Marius.

Goldy,
todo un documento para los Europeos jeje, que no hemos visto estos grandes animales si no es en los zoos o en los circos.
Buen conjunto aderezado con esas oportunas plantas.

Saludos: Josep Ignasi.

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2921 W: 34 N: 8658] (32266)
  • [2009-10-27 13:11]

Hi Goldy. Firstly thank you for the most in teresting noteson the Musth time for the male Elephant . I had never heard of this before. You still have been able To take this fine close up of this male. With good detail and such natural colours. WEll taken TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3001 W: 162 N: 989] (2897)
  • [2009-10-27 13:13]

Hello Goldy,
I expect you kept a safe distance to this big bull! Great capture from a low POV and showing fine details, light and colours. Very interesting note too!
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

Ciao Goldy,

A nice capture of this great looking asian elephant with wonderful details! I like the great contrast between the colors of the elephant and the green wild grass. The sharpness is great and the POV is superb.

Great composition!

best regards,
Paras

Hi L'il Bro a great addition to your lovely series.
Great POV and lovely facial expression here.
TFS and have a nice night!
Cheers,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1339 W: 0 N: 2585] (9117)
  • [2009-10-28 3:46]

Hi Goldy,
this is a very classical shot of this big guy. He looks so elegnce in a lovely composition. The grass makes a perfect framing and renders a verey exciting grsphical view.
Well composed in good details and natural colours.

regards,
Foozi

Hello Goldy,

The big guy is so impressive, lurking in the tall dry grass!
I'm surprised to see f/4 gives this kind of sharpness to the grass in front, but then I don't know your camera...
It is a fine composition and the back/sidelight is well managed!

Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1730 W: 0 N: 3938] (15810)
  • [2009-10-28 6:12]

Hello Goldy.
Again a marvellous elephant-shot! You made a very good composition showing the elephant in the middle of these high grasses. I like the natural colors of your picture. Sharpness is also good. And thanks for your interesting note, I had heard of the agressive behaviour elephant have sometimes, but never such a detailed explanantion.
Thanks and kind regards
Anne

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 94 N: 5564] (17694)
  • [2009-10-28 8:56]

Hello Goldy,
Great photo of this bull. Beautiful light and colours. Good sharpness, details, composition and POV.
Regards,
Peter

bonjour Goldy
j'adore tout tes photos d'elephants d'Asie, ils sont tous superbes et spécialement ce grand mâle debout dans les hautes herbes, fantastique composition
les details sur l'animal et sont environement, la luminosité et les couleurs sont parfaites
Passe une bonne nuit
Jacqueline

Namaste Goldy,
This is wonderful, I'm always facinated by the intelligent of and the power of the elephants. Very nice close up and lovely details of its face. Good foreground of tall grasses with beuatiful colors. Thanks
Way

Hello Goldy Sahib,
Hats off to you to be in approximity of this dangerous tusker. I had seen him in Chaur ahead of Dhikala Rest House close to Ramganga river. He looks in "musth" since temporin can be seen flowing down the Rt temporal gland. Great shot & it goes to my favorites :)
Best wishes-Ranjan

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