Elephant

Communication Elephants communicate a lot through touch, taste, and smell. A mother may bat her calf with her tail to m...

Communication Elephants communicate a lot through touch, taste, and smell. A mother may bat her calf with her tail to make sure he is still following behind her, or she may turn and shove him as discipline. Two elephants who meet will greet with trunks outstretched, sniffing for clues about the other. (Incidentally, some scientists say that excited behavior during greetings may suggest that elephants remember one another, even after being separated for many years.) Elephants on alert will raise their trunks like periscopes, with the tips pointed toward whatever ill wind is blowing. They also can make more than 25 various vocalizations. Trumpets, screams, rumbles, and grunts all send a message, depending on how they are made. A series of long, low rumbles may be a signal for the family to get up and move on. A trumpet may be a show of intimidation; a special soft hum is a mothers song to her newborn. Some calls are made only by females, only by males, or by calves.