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Elephants rely on several forms of visual communication, such as charging, ear-flapping, dust-kicking, and tossing the trunk. There are more than 150 documented visual signals elephants use to communicate dominance, protection, playfulness, mating interest, etc.
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Elephants may use any part of the body to visually communicate with one another. |
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Visual Behavioral Examples |
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Defensive and/or submissive behavior may be displayed as backing up, flattening of the ears, arching the back, raising the tail, dust throwing, foot-swinging, etc. |
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Dominance/threat behavior may be displayed as turning toward an opponent with their ears spread, standing tall, head-nodding or jerking, charging, and forward trunk-tossing. |
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There are a variety of sounds elephants use to communicate. The trumpeting sound is the best known elephant vocalization and is thought to convey excitement. Elephants will emit a purring vibration signaling pleasure, a soft moaning sound to elicit interaction with others, and a hissing rumble in times of uneasiness. |
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Trumpeting is one of the best known elephant vocalizations. |
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Elephants frequently use infrasonic sounds in long-distance communication. Infrasonic communication is especially important for musth bulls to locate reproductively receptive females. |
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Olfactory communication for elephants is of key importance. The trunks are constantly roving, picking up particles, and exploring the environment through scent.
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Scents from the temporal glands, urine, and feces communicate dominance, virility, reproductive status, and health. |
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Elephants are very tactile in nature. Elephants use the trunk, ears, tusks, feet, tail, and their entire body for tactile communication with one another.
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The trunk is one of the most tactile appendages elephants have. It is used to stroke, touch, explore, caress, or reassure in care-taking. It may also be used to slap or block in defense, or dominance situations. |
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Elephants use the trunk, ears, tusks, feet, tail, and their entire body for tactile communication with one another. |
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Tactile Behavior Examples |
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Greeting ceremonies are often displayed as a lower—ranking female places the tip of her trunk into another’s mouth. This behavior allows friendly communication between various hierarchal—ranking females, and may stem from the calves’ habit of placing the trunk in its mother’s mouth for reassurance. |
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Family members are often in constant contact with one another. Herds may stand touching while drinking, standing, or resting. |
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| Family members are often in constant contact with one another. |
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Playful displays and courting elephants often communicate in a tactile manner by intertwining the trunks and by amicable trunk wrestling. |
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Mothers often guide or steer the young by gripping the tail. This is called a greeting—intention movement behavior. |
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Fighting may be shown by trunk—wrestling, pushing, ramming, and tusking. Fighting behavior may be exhibited between males in musth and females that dislike one another. |
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