Anatomical Structure of the Ears

Ears serve several important functions in the elephant. The functions include: regulating body temperature, to ward off potential threats and of course, hearing.

Due to research, we know that elephants have infrasound hearing capabilities. This means that elephants can hear frequencies lower that 20 Herts. Humans can only hear frequencies above 30 Herts. This infrasound ability can be noticed by sudden reaction of elephants to lift their head from drinking, bathing or eating, and act in a peculiar fashion. 

Under normal conditions elephants can hear and respond to each other’s loud calls from distances greater than fifty square kilometers of range. 

The elephant has a constant problem for temperature control due to their low surface to volume ratio. The ears help regulate the elephant’s body temperature. With a wide surface area of outer ear tissue, hot blood in the arteries is cooled as it is filtered through the vast network of capillaries and veins. Asian elephants in the north that live in cooler conditions have smaller ears. Not only do the ears perform extraordinary hearing abilities they also help in the animal’s homeostasis.

The ear of an elephant is made up of a cartilaginous sheet to which relatively thin skin is closely attached.

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