Abstract
Sexual differences in foraging behaviour of African elephant are comparatively well studied. However, the behaviour is known to vary between savannas due to differences in plant and herbivory communities which determine the level of forage selection and competitions. The sexual variation in foraging behaviour is attributed by sexual dimorphism, where male elephants are larger than females. The different body sizes result in divergent foraging strategies due to the differential scaling coefficients of metabolism and gut size, where the larger bodied individuals can tolerate greater quantities of low-quality forage. We studied the foraging behaviour of male and female elephants in Serengeti National Park, a nutrient-rich savanna in Tanzania, based on the forage selection and the scramble competition hypotheses. Data were collected for 2 months in 2014 by driving in road transects and make visual observations of browsing elephants within 50 m from the road. We recorded the number of bites taken per tree, parts of the tree browsed, browsing height, and tree species. Females targeted a wider range of wood species, browsing at lower heights compared to males. The sexes had a comparable length of browsing bouts, spending an average of 4 min per tree. The results support the scramble competition hypothesis through the feeding height stratification and the forage selection hypothesis through the higher diversity of tree species utilised by females. We suggest that sexual differences in forage requirements interact with forage quality and competing herbivore communities in shaping the foraging behaviour of elephants.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) for offering us a permit to carry this study and the Tanzania National Parks Authority for allowing us to conduct the research in Serengeti National Park. We are thankful to the park staff for cooperating with us during the fieldwork. A permit for conducting the study with a reference number TWRI/RG/22/VOL.39/88/97 was offered by TAWIRI.
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The study was funded by the Norwegian State Education Loan Fund and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences as a PhD scholarship. The study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies.
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Mramba, R.P., Mlingi, V.N. The utilisation of woody species by male and female elephants in the Serengeti National Park, a nutrient-rich savanna. Eur J Wildl Res 67, 75 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-021-01523-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-021-01523-0