Use: Social Play and Sexual Behavior

Authors: Tomoo Enomoto, Tokai University

Methods: Sequence Sampling Method

Publications/Presentations: T. Enomoto (1990). Social Play and Sexual Behavior of the Bonobo (Pan paniscus) with Special Reference to Flexibility. Primates, 31(4): 469-480.

Social Play Behavior between Mother and Young

Types of play of mothers towards their infants:

Shake head: The mother shakes her head horizontally

Suspend infant with its hand

Suspend infant with its foot

Shake branch: The mother rhythmically shakes the branch that her infant is on

Swing: While in a tree, the mother grasps her infant by hand and swings

Rub infant with sexual skin

Hold between legs: The mother holds her infant between her legs and shakes it with her legs

Types of play of infants towards their mothers

Climb mother: The infant climbs or rides on its motherÕs body

Jump-on

Hang

Hang-swing

Touch sex skin: The infant touches, grasps, or rubs the sexual skin of its mother

Kick

Play patterns between Young IndividualsÊÊ

Types of social play among juveniles and infants

Play pant

Lead and chase

Wrestle

Strike

Kick

Leap-on

Chase

Types of Male behavior towards infants

Embrace

Sham bite: The male opens his mouth slightly without exposing his teeth, and moves his mouth onto the loin, shoulder, or hand of the infant as it he were biting it.

Hold between legs: The male holds the infant between his legs and abdomen, standing quadrupedally or bipedally. He gazes at the infantÕs face, bending his head down. Sometimes the infant is laid on its back. This type of behavior was usually accompanied by male pelvic thrusting, similarly to heterosexual copulation.

Dandle: The male sits and puts the infant on his legs. The male repeatedly rocks the infant with his legs.

Head-bob: The male bobs his head with his eyes kept on the infantÕs face.

Shake head: The male embraces the infant, while shaking his head from side-to-side

Touch with mouth: The male touches the infant with his mouth on the loin, shoulder, hand, back, mouth or genitals. The mouth is opened in some cases.

Tickle with foot: When the male embraces the infant, he touches, rubs, tickles, nibbles, or pats it with his foot.

Grasp

Place on abdomen

Lift: The male lies on his back, places the infant on his abdomen, grasps it with his hands, feet, or both, and lifts it over his abdomen.

Wrestle

Groom

Play pant

Play-like Sexual Interactions

Types of infant behavior toward males

Touch Penis

Get-on

Kick

Play Face

Play Pant

Pant