Temporin

In elephants, temporin is the visible liquid secreted by temporal glands. It contains proteins, lipids (notably cholesterol), phenols, cresols and sesquiterpenes (notably farnesol and its derivatives). Temporin has a communicative function among elephant individuals in a group.: 101 

In male elephants, temporin is secreted more during the period of musth, a period of heightened sexual arousal and dominance behavior. Of note, not all temporal gland excretions in African elephant bulls do necessarily represent the musth phase.: 111  Female elephants also secrete temporin: African females secrete it quite freely, whereas Asian females secrete it in advanced stage of pregnancy or soon after calving.: 154 

In old Sanskrit texts, temporin has been referred to as rut fluid (dāna, or mada) and is considered to be a symbol of potency and vigour. However, from the point of view of ancient Indian elephant science (Gajashastra), temporin is not a direct symptom of rut.

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