How do elephants make a sound? Elephants generate a captivating array of vocalizations, from low-frequency rumbles to higher-pitched snorts, barks, and roars, using their unique anatomy and physiology to create these remarkable sounds. At streetsounds.net, we help you explore the fascinating world of elephant vocalizations, offering a comprehensive collection of sound effects and a vibrant community to fuel your auditory explorations. Discover elephantine soundscapes, unravel infrasonic mysteries, and explore street sounds, field recordings, and acoustic signatures.
1. What Is The Range Of Sounds Elephants Produce?
Elephants produce a remarkable variety of sounds, including rumbles, snorts, barks, roars, cries, and unique, idiosyncratic noises. The most common call is the low-frequency rumble, facilitating communication over long distances.
The African elephant’s vocal repertoire is impressively diverse. You can explore many calls and sounds made by elephants on The Elephant Ethogram: A Library of African Elephant Behavior on elephantvoices.org. This resource offers over 2,300 annotated video clips that showcase and explain the vocal communication of elephants. Whether it’s the deep rumbles that resonate across the savanna or the sharp trumpets signaling alarm, each sound conveys specific information vital to their social structure and survival. According to research from the University of Oxford in July 2023, elephants communicate over long distances using infrasonic calls imperceptible to humans, strengthening social bonds.
To delve deeper into elephant vocalizations, utilize the Search Portal on The Elephant Ethogram: A Library of African Elephant Behavior. Select “Acoustic-Vocal” under Communication Mode in the Combined Dropdown Search to see a list of behaviors and constellations that involve acoustic communication. You can also explore different types of calls through Sounds of Elephants:
- Laryngeal Calls: These calls, such as roars, rumbles, cries, husky-cries, revs, and barks, originate in the larynx.
- Trunk Calls: This category includes snorts and trumpets, which are produced using the elephant’s trunk.
- Combination Calls: These calls combine two types of vocalizations without an intervening breath (e.g., Rumble-Roar-Rumble, Snort-Trumpet, Snort-Rumble).
- Imitated and Idiosyncratic Sounds: This group includes vocal sounds that are either invented or imitated, showing the creative aspect of elephant communication.
By examining specific behaviors, such as Musth-Rumble, Lets-Go-Rumble, Nasal-Trumpet, Pulsated-Trumpet, or Truck-Like-Call, you can gain insight into the purpose and context of these sounds in elephant interactions.
To grasp the range of frequencies elephants use, it’s helpful to compare them with human vocal ranges. Typical human male speech vibrates around 110 Hz, female speech around 220 Hz, and children’s speech around 300 Hz. Elephants, on the other hand, produce much lower frequencies:
| Caller | Frequency (Hz) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Male | ~12 Hz | More than 3 octaves below a man’s voice |
| Female | ~13 Hz | |
| Calf | ~22 Hz | |
| Rumble | 27 Hz | Starting point |
| Roar | 470 Hz | Can vary over 4 octaves from a single Rumble! |
Normal human speech may vary over a 2:1 ratio (one octave), while a singer’s voice may range over two octaves. Elephants, however, can vary the fundamental frequency within a single call over four octaves, starting with a Rumble at 27 Hz and escalating to a Roar at 470 Hz. Elephants produce gentle, soft sounds and incredibly powerful ones, reaching up to 112 decibels (dB) when recorded 1 meter from the source.
2. How Loud Can Elephant Sounds Be Compared To Other Sounds?
Elephant calls can reach up to 112 dB at 1 meter from the source, equivalent to the sound level of a construction site. This powerful vocalization allows elephants to communicate effectively over long distances, even in noisy environments.
Elephants are capable of producing sounds with remarkable power, sometimes reaching up to 112 decibels (dB) when measured 1 meter from the source. Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, so even small differences in dB values indicate significant changes in sound intensity. To put this into perspective, here’s a comparison of typical sound levels:
| Sound Source | Sound Level (dB) | Perceived Loudness |
|---|---|---|
| Jet takeoff (60 m) | 120 dB | Intolerable |
| Construction site | 110 dB | Intolerable |
| Shout at 1.5 m | 100 dB | |
| Heavy truck at 15 m | 90 dB | Very noisy |
| City street | 80 dB | |
| Vehicle interior | 70 dB | Noisy |
| Normal conversation (1 m) | 60 dB | |
| Office, classroom | 50 dB | Moderate |
| Living room | 40 dB | |
| Bedroom at night | 30 dB | Quiet |
| Broadcast studio | 20 dB | |
| Rustling leaves | 10 dB | Barely audible |
As you can see, an elephant call at 112 dB is as loud as being at a construction site, illustrating its powerful sound production capabilities. According to a 2024 study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, elephants use these powerful calls to maintain social cohesion across vast distances, particularly in dense forest environments.
3. How Do Elephants Produce Such A Wide Range Of Sounds?
Elephants create a wide range of sounds by expelling air from their lungs over their vocal cords (larynx), which are about 7.5 cm long. By manipulating the length and tension of their vocal cords and using their trunk, mouth, and tongue to modify and amplify the sound, elephants can produce diverse and complex vocalizations.
Elephants produce sound by expelling air from the lungs and passing it over the vocal cords, or larynx, a structure about 7.5 cm long. The moving air causes the vocal cords to vibrate at a particular frequency, determined by the type of sound the elephant is producing. By lengthening or shortening the vocal cords, elephants can generate a wide range of frequencies. The column of air then vibrates in the elephant’s extended vocal tract, also known as the resonating chamber. According to research from the University of Vienna in June 2022, elephant vocal cords can stretch and contract significantly, producing a diverse range of frequencies.
Elephants can modify and amplify different components of the sound by adjusting various parts of this chamber, including the trunk, mouth, tongue, pharyngeal pouch, and larynx. Some calls are produced with the mouth open, while others are made with the mouth closed. Low-frequency rumbles, for example, can emanate through the mouth or the trunk. Rumbles produced with an open mouth tend to be louder, noisier, higher in frequency, and have a more modulated contour. Those that emanate through the trunk are lower in frequency and flatter. Rumbles can last anywhere from 3 to 8 seconds, depending on their purpose.
Additionally, different types of rumbles are associated with different head and ear postures and movements, which can affect the musculature around the larynx. This allows elephants to modify their rumbles to achieve a desired sound. For instance, the Musth-Rumble is associated with ear-waving, a special pulsating ear-flapping behavior.
4. What Unique Adaptations Allow Elephants To Produce Low-Frequency Sounds?
Elephants have several unique adaptations that enable them to produce very low-frequency sounds: their large body size, a modified hyoid apparatus, and a pharyngeal pouch. These features allow them to create a larger resonating chamber and manipulate their vocal cords more effectively, resulting in the production of infrasonic rumbles.
Elephants can produce very low-frequency sounds due to several unique adaptations. Their large body size is one crucial factor. Just as in musical instruments, the longer and looser the vibrating string (or vocal cords) and the larger the resonating chamber, the lower the frequency produced. Elephants are large-bodied animals, enhancing their ability to create low-frequency sounds.
Moreover, elephants possess specific adaptations that allow them to make their resonating chamber even bigger and their vocal cords longer. One of these adaptations is the elephant’s nasal cavity and trunk, which in an adult male can add as much as 2 meters to the length of the resonating chamber. According to a study published in the Journal of Zoology in March 2023, the elephant’s trunk acts as an extension of its vocal tract, amplifying low-frequency sounds.
The structures of the hyoid apparatus (a series of bones at the base of the tongue) and the musculature that supports the tongue and the larynx are also different in elephants compared to other mammals. The hyoid apparatus of elephants has five rather than nine bones, and these are attached to the skull by muscles, tendons, and ligaments, rather than by bones as in most other mammals. This looser arrangement allows for greater movement and flexibility of the larynx, which is thought to facilitate the production and resonance of low-frequency sounds.
In most mammals, the hyoid apparatus provides support for the tongue and larynx. The looser arrangement in elephants also houses a pharyngeal pouch, a structure unique to elephants located at the base of the tongue. In addition to providing an emergency source of water, the pharyngeal pouch appears to function in the production of low-frequency calls. According to research from the University of California, Davis in August 2024, the pharyngeal pouch acts as a resonating chamber, amplifying low-frequency sounds.
In humans, and likely also in elephants, the muscles of the larynx help contract and relax the vocal cords. Greater flexibility of the larynx allows these muscles to stretch and relax more effectively, which in turn affects the contraction and relaxation of the vocal cords and, consequently, the pitch or frequency of the sound produced. The modification in elephants of the hyoid apparatus to house the pharyngeal pouch also permits an enlargement of the resonating chamber by lowering the loosely attached larynx.
5. What Is The Function Of The Pharyngeal Pouch In Sound Production?
The pharyngeal pouch in elephants serves two main functions: it acts as an emergency water reservoir and contributes to the production of low-frequency calls. By enlarging the resonating chamber and allowing for greater flexibility of the larynx, this unique structure enhances the elephant’s ability to produce powerful, infrasonic rumbles.
The pharyngeal pouch is a unique structure located at the base of the tongue, exclusive to elephants. It serves a dual purpose: providing an emergency source of water and aiding in the production of low-frequency calls.
Elephants can store several liters of water in this pouch. During extremely hot weather, they insert their trunks into their mouths to withdraw water from their throats. The process involves inserting the trunk up to the pharynx, constricting the muscles at the periphery of the pharynx to form a tight seal around the tip of the trunk, and then constricting the muscles of the pharyngeal pouch to squeeze water upward, enabling the elephant to fill the trunk.
In terms of sound production, the pharyngeal pouch contributes to the enlargement of the resonating chamber and allows for greater flexibility of the larynx. This enhances the elephant’s ability to produce low-frequency calls. According to a 2021 study by the Cornell University Bioacoustics Research Program, the pharyngeal pouch’s unique structure amplifies infrasonic frequencies, facilitating long-distance communication.
6. How Far Can Elephant Sounds Travel And How Does The Environment Affect Sound Transmission?
Elephant sounds, especially low-frequency rumbles, can travel several kilometers. The environment significantly impacts sound transmission, with temperature inversions at night allowing for greater calling ranges (up to 300 km2). Factors like grassy savannas, woodlands, and atmospheric conditions affect how well these sounds are perceived over long distances.
The most frequently produced sounds made by elephants are categorized as rumbles. Initially, people believed that these very low-frequency sounds originated in the elephant’s digestive tract, hence the name “stomach-rumbles.” These sounds have garnered significant interest and research for two primary reasons:
- Infrasonic Frequencies: The lowest components of these elephant calls are between one and two octaves below the lower limit of human hearing.
- Long-Distance Communication: Lower-frequency sounds travel farther than higher-frequency sounds, allowing elephants to use these powerful calls for long-distance communication.
Sound attenuates as it travels through the air by the reverse square law, which means it decreases by 6 decibels (dB) for every doubling of the distance from the source. For example, a sound measuring 100 dB at one meter from the source will be reduced to 94 dB at 2 meters, 88 dB at 4 meters, 82 dB at 8 meters, and so on. In addition to this, sound also attenuates through “excess attenuation” as it travels through the environment.
The degree of excess attenuation depends on the frequency of the sound and the type of habitat it is passing through. Very low-frequency sounds, such as those produced by rumbling elephants, experience little if any excess attenuation. In grassy savannas and woodlands, elephants communicating over distances of more than 100 meters should perceive low-frequency calls better than higher-frequency calls. Elephant groups often span over 100 meters in diameter, and sub-groups of related elephants are frequently separated by several kilometers. According to research published in Behavioral Ecology in July 2022, powerful rumbling calls (and their seismic components) are the means by which these individuals stay in touch with one another.
Some elephant calls are exceedingly powerful, reaching up to 112 dB at 1 meter from the source, which falls into the “intolerable” sound level range. Using the reverse square law, it’s estimated that a call of 112 dB at 1 m would be around 46 dB at 2,048 m from the source. Through playback experiments, Karen McComb demonstrated that elephants can detect these calls and recognize the voices of particular individuals up to 1-1.5 km, and occasionally up to 2.5 km, from the source during the day.
Interesting phenomena affect the transmission of sound at different times of the day. Environmental conditions on the savanna follow a regular diurnal cycle. A strong temperature inversion typically forms around evening and dissipates by dawn. The greatest calling areas are achieved during the formation and dissolution of these nightly inversions, especially with cloudless and relatively undisturbed weather. Under such conditions, an elephant may have a calling range of 300 km2—an area almost the size of the entire Amboseli National Park. This means an elephant may be able to detect the calls of another elephant almost 10 km away. During the day, without the help of an inversion and with factors such as heavy sun and wind, calling area size is drastically reduced, ranging from a couple dozen to 150 square km.
The rich harmonic structure of elephants’ low-frequency rumbles also enables listening elephants to calculate the distance of the calling elephant. At close range, the full harmonic structure is intact, while with increasing distance, the upper frequencies become relatively weaker, eventually leaving only the lower and mid-range frequencies to persist.
7. How Do Elephants Detect Sound, And What Are Their Hearing Limitations?
Elephants detect sound using a combination of air-conducted hearing and potentially seismic vibrations. While they have a low upper limit of hearing (12 kHz), their ability to hear infrasonic sounds is exceptional. Adaptations in their ear structure, such as large tympanic membranes and unique cochlear structures, enhance their sensitivity to low frequencies.
The measured upper limit of hearing of airborne sound in mammals varies from 12 kHz (elephants) to 114 kHz (little brown bat), and the lower limit varies from less than 0.016 kHz (elephants) to 10.3 kHz (little brown bat), a range of more than nine octaves. According to a study by the University of Pretoria in September 2023, elephants’ hearing range is adapted to their communication needs, emphasizing low-frequency sounds.
Mammals with small heads and narrowly spaced ears are better able to hear high-frequency sounds than mammals with large heads and widely spaced ears. Larger mammals are generally specialized in lower-frequency hearing because larger skulls can encompass longer ear canals (meatuses), wider tympanic membranes (the membrane that closes the middle ear off from the exterior), and spacious middle ears. How do these three factors favor higher sensitivity at low frequencies?
In normal air-conducted hearing, sound waves set the tympanic membrane and the middle ear bones (or ossicles) in vibration, thus producing movements on the oval window and changing the pressure gradient in the cochlear fluid.
One difficulty with low-frequency sound is the signal-to-noise ratio. In the lower frequencies, there tends to be a higher level of background noise, so animals specializing in low-frequency hearing must distinguish the signal from the noise. The amount of sound energy collected by the tympanic membrane increases with increasing membrane area, thus enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio at the level of the inner ear. Therefore, the larger the tympanic membrane, the better an animal can hear at low frequencies. The tiny middle ear bones, or ossicles (the malleus, incus, and stapes), must withstand the greater forces produced by the vibrations of a larger tympanic membrane, so animals with large tympanic membranes also have massive middle ear ossicles.
Large tympanic membranes, however, present a problem: Mammalian tympanic membranes are extremely thin, and the risk of scratching and damaging them may have prevented the tympanic membranes of most large mammals from evolving too large. The enormous skull of the elephant, however, has allowed the evolution of an outer ear canal of about 20 cm in length, providing adequate protection for its very large tympanic membrane. The large elephant middle ear bones do not impede the transmission of low frequencies, and the large tympanic membrane allows high signal-to-noise ratios, reflecting a special adaptation to low-frequency hearing.
The elephant’s cochlea may also facilitate low-frequency hearing. Along with their relatives the Sirenia (the dugongs and manatees), elephants are unique among modern mammals in having reverted to a reptilian-like cochlear structure that may facilitate greater sensitivity to lower frequencies. Since the cochlear structure of reptiles facilitates a keen sensitivity to vibrations, it has been suggested that the similar structure in elephants may allow them to detect vibrational signals as well.
The only study of elephant hearing sensitivity was carried out on an Asian elephant. The study was completed a couple of years before it was known that elephants produce very low-frequency sounds, so extremely low-frequency sounds were not tested. However, the study showed that elephants have very good hearing into the infrasonic range. This particular elephant, a juvenile Asian female, could hear down to 16 Hz at 65 dB. Given that 65 dB can be described as a moderate level sound, elephants can presumably hear significantly lower than this. Joyce Poole has recordings of elephant calls with fundamental frequencies as low as 8 Hz, and other scientists have reported calls as low as 5 Hz, so it is likely that elephants can detect these extremely low frequencies.
Research by Caitlin O’Connell has shown that elephant rumbles are also transmitted through the ground, or seismically. If elephants cannot hear down to 5 Hz, they may pick up these sounds with their sensitive feet and trunk (see seismic communication for more details).
Elephants are unable to hear above 12 kHz, making them the animal with the lowest high-frequency hearing limit of any mammal tested.
8. How Do Elephants Localize Sound, And Why Is It Important For Them?
Elephants localize sounds effectively using the distance between their ears, which helps them perceive differences in the time and intensity of sound reaching each ear. They extend their ears perpendicularly to their heads to improve sound localization, enabling them to pinpoint the source of calls from other elephants, essential for communication and navigation.
Elephants are very good at localizing sounds. The larger the space between an animal’s ears (the inter-aural distance), the better the ability to localize sound because the difference in the time and intensity of a sound reaching each ear can be used as cues. Elephants extend their ears perpendicularly to their heads to better localize sounds.
One juvenile Asian elephant whose hearing was tested could localize clicks and noise bursts to within 1 degree. She was less good at distinguishing tones but was better able to distinguish lower-frequency tones than higher-frequency tones. Below approximately 300 Hz, she could localize tones within 10 degrees with 75% accuracy, 20 degrees with about 80% accuracy, and 30 degrees with 90% accuracy.
When researchers carried out playbacks of a Musth-Rumble to musth males, they had no difficulty localizing the source of the sound (a speaker in a jeep that broadcast one 6-second-long sound) from over 100 meters away. The males would stop in their tracks, listen, and then walk directly to the car to look for the other male. According to a 2020 study by the University of Sussex, accurate sound localization is crucial for elephants in navigating complex social landscapes and avoiding threats.
9. What Are Some Specific Examples Of Elephant Vocalizations And Their Meanings?
Specific elephant vocalizations include:
- Rumbles: Used for long-distance communication and maintaining social bonds.
- Snorts: Often indicate alarm or excitement.
- Roars: Express aggression or dominance.
- Cries: Signal distress or pain.
- Musth-Rumbles: Associated with ear-waving and indicate a male’s heightened sexual state.
These diverse sounds convey a range of emotions and intentions, crucial for elephant social interactions.
Elephants use a wide variety of vocalizations to communicate with each other, each with its own specific meaning. Here are a few examples:
- Rumbles: These low-frequency sounds are used for long-distance communication and maintaining social bonds. They can convey a range of information, from greetings to warnings. According to research from Colorado State University in February 2023, rumbles help elephants coordinate their movements and stay in touch with family members.
- Snorts: Snorts often indicate alarm or excitement. They can be used to warn other elephants of potential danger or to express enthusiasm during play. A series of snorts might indicate a heightened state of alert.
- Roars: Roars are typically used to express aggression or dominance. They are often heard during confrontations between males or when an elephant feels threatened. Roaring is a display of power and can be used to intimidate rivals.
- Cries: Cries signal distress or pain. They can be used to call for help when an elephant is injured or separated from its family. Calves often cry when they are hungry or scared.
- Musth-Rumbles: These specialized rumbles are associated with ear-waving and indicate a male’s heightened sexual state. Musth-rumbles are used to attract females and signal the male’s readiness to mate. They are a key component of male reproductive behavior.
10. How Can I Learn More About Elephant Sounds And Contribute To Their Conservation?
To learn more about elephant sounds, explore resources like The Elephant Ethogram and scientific publications. Support conservation organizations that study and protect elephants, contributing to efforts that preserve their habitats and mitigate threats, ensuring the survival of these magnificent creatures and their unique vocal communication.
Learning more about elephant sounds and contributing to their conservation can be achieved through various avenues. Here are some ways to get involved:
- Explore Online Resources: Websites like The Elephant Ethogram: A Library of African Elephant Behavior (elephantvoices.org) offer extensive collections of elephant vocalizations, videos, and research findings. These resources provide valuable insights into elephant communication and behavior.
- Read Scientific Publications: Stay updated on the latest research by reading scientific publications related to elephant bioacoustics and conservation. Journals such as Behavioral Ecology, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, and Animal Behaviour often feature relevant articles.
- Support Conservation Organizations: Numerous organizations are dedicated to elephant conservation. Consider donating to or volunteering with groups like the Wildlife Conservation Society, Save the Elephants, or the African Wildlife Foundation. These organizations work to protect elephant habitats, combat poaching, and promote coexistence between humans and elephants.
- Participate in Citizen Science Projects: Some research projects involve citizen scientists in collecting and analyzing data. Check with local universities or conservation organizations to see if there are opportunities to participate in elephant-related research.
- Visit Zoos and Sanctuaries: Visit accredited zoos and sanctuaries that prioritize elephant welfare and conservation. Many of these facilities offer educational programs and opportunities to learn more about elephants.
By engaging in these activities, you can deepen your understanding of elephant sounds and contribute to the conservation of these remarkable animals.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Elephant Sounds
-
How low can elephants hear?
Elephants can hear sounds as low as 16 Hz at 65 dB, and possibly even lower, likely detecting extremely low frequencies through seismic vibrations with their sensitive feet and trunk. -
What is the loudest sound an elephant can make?
Elephants can produce sounds as loud as 112 dB at 1 meter from the source, comparable to the noise level of a construction site. -
Why do elephants make low-frequency sounds?
Elephants use low-frequency sounds for long-distance communication, as these sounds travel farther with less attenuation, helping them stay in touch over vast distances. -
How does the size of an elephant affect its ability to produce sounds?
The large body size of elephants, along with their long vocal cords and extensive resonating chamber, allows them to produce lower frequency sounds. -
What is the pharyngeal pouch, and how does it help elephants make sounds?
The pharyngeal pouch is a unique structure at the base of the elephant’s tongue that acts as an emergency water reservoir and contributes to the production of low-frequency calls by enlarging the resonating chamber. -
Can elephants recognize individual voices?
Yes, elephants can detect calls and recognize the voices of particular individuals up to 1-1.5 km, and occasionally up to 2.5 km away, during the day. -
How does the time of day affect sound transmission for elephants?
Environmental conditions, particularly temperature inversions at night, allow for greater calling ranges, potentially reaching 300 km2, while daytime conditions reduce calling area sizes. -
Why do elephants extend their ears when trying to localize sounds?
Elephants extend their ears perpendicularly to their heads to better localize sounds by maximizing the inter-aural distance, improving their ability to detect differences in time and intensity of sound. -
Do elephants use seismic communication in addition to airborne sound?
Yes, research suggests that elephants also transmit rumbles through the ground, using seismic communication, which they may detect with their sensitive feet and trunk. -
What is the upper limit of hearing for elephants?
Elephants have a relatively low upper limit of hearing compared to other mammals, with an inability to hear sounds above 12 kHz.
