Based on the results of tests performed on a 7-year-old, captive Asian elephant, it is thought that elephants can hear sounds ranging from at least 16-12,000 Hz (lower frequencies were not tested). Elephant calls contain frequencies as low as 5 Hz to over 9,000 Hz. Indeed, the fundamental frequency of a single elephant call may slide over 4 octaves!

The lowest calls, the rumbles, often have fundamental frequencies in the infrasonic range (fundamental range from 5 to around 30 Hz with harmonics sometimes extending to 600 Hz or higher). The fundamental frequency of a typical adult male rumble is about 12 Hz, an adult female's is around 13 Hz while a calf's is more like 22 Hz.