Amazing Facts : Elephants Use Infrasound to Talk Across Kilometers
The Science Behind How Elephants Use Infrasound to Talk
In our heads, elephants trumpeting comes to life as a loud trumpeting noise. The true beauty of their communication, however, is done through a form of speaking we will never understand: infrasound. Because of these sounds, which elephants create and humans cannot understand due to their extremely low frequencies, elephants can communicate through very long distances.
What is Elephant Infrasound?
In terms of vibrations, as well as communication, elephants infrasound is classified as a call below twenty hertz which also cannot not be heard. Deep as they may be, these sounds can travel as far as several kilometers. Scientists also believe and have done many experiments proving that under the correct circumstances, calls made by elephants infrasound can be heard up to ten kilometers away.
How Do Elephants Communicate This Way?
In the case of elephants, when they”rumble”, the sound reverberates and is able to travel through the air, and even the ground. The ‘listeners’ in this case will be able to “hear” this duel form of ‘communication’ not only through their ears by also through their sensitive pads, feet and trunks. In a herd, this is referred to as seismic communication where they have the ability to “feel” the vibrations through the earth.
Why Do Elephants Use Infrasound?
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Herd coordination: Using low frequency sounds which can travel through trees and hills, elephants can travel over large distances and still remain coordinated in a group.
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Warning calls: An elephant can send warning calls kilometers apart and can defend and protect the herd from potential danger.
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Mating signals: An elephant female mate can release a call which can be detected by males even if they are separated by miles.
How Far Can Elephants Communicate?
Out on the open savanna, elephants’ low-frequency vocalisations can be heard from distances of over 10 km, while in closed forests the range shrinks, but the vocalisations still help elephants to coordinate in line of sight.
Why This Amazing Fact Matters
Understanding how elephants communicate is not just interesting for conversationalists. Knowing how elephants communicate on the other hand is powerful because It assists the people working on the savanna to preserve the ecosystems for the elephants to thrive. There is no such thing as silence for elephants, to them, silence is full of low sounds that we can’t hear.
References
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Royal Society Publishing – Seismic and Acoustic Communication in Elephants
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ResearchGate – Elephant Infrasounds: Long-Range Communication
