Like all highly social mammals elephants have a well-developed system of communication that makes use of all of their senses - hearing, smell, vision and touch - including an exceptional ability to detect vibrations.

Acoustic communication takes a look at sound production and hearing in elephants; chemical communication explains how elephants use various secretions and their acute sense of smell to communicate; visual communication looks at how elephants make use of postures and displays and their sense of sight in communication; tactile communication describes how elephants make use of their sense of touch to communicate.

At one end of the spectrum elephants communicate by rubbing their bodies against one another, at the other end they may respond by moving toward the sounds of other elephants calling, perhaps 10 kilometers away. They convey information about their physiological (e.g. sexual/hormonal, body condition, identity) and emotional state (e.g. whether they are fearful, playful, joyful, angry, excited) as well as communicating specific "statements" about their intentions or desires. In this section we look at how elephants use the different pathways of communication and the actual mechanics of communicating.

You will in the fully searchable database The Elephant Ethogram: A Library of African Elephant Behavior find close to 300 fully described elephant sounds with spectrograms, together with 2,400 educational video clips showing categorized elephant behaviors and behavior constellations and hundreds of images. The below slideshow take you through a limited number of the over 400 Behaviors and Behavioral Constellations included in The Elephant Ethogram - click on any image to find further documentation.

  • Panic-Running
    Panic-Running
  • Exaggerated-Walk
    Exaggerated-Walk
  • Horizontal-Trunk
    Horizontal-Trunk
  • Tail-Raising
    Tail-Raising
  • Comment-Rumble
    Comment-Rumble
  • Pushing
    Pushing
  • Musth-Walk
    Musth-Walk
  • Trunk-To-Infant-At-Breast
    Trunk-To-Infant-At-Breast
  • Rumble-Roar-Rumble
    Rumble-Roar-Rumble
  • Adorn-Body
    Adorn-Body
  • Estrous-Roar
    Estrous-Roar
  • Standing-Tall
    Standing-Tall
  • Head-Toss
    Head-Toss
  • Circus-Pose
    Circus-Pose
  • Sweep-Off-Dirt
    Sweep-Off-Dirt
  • Head-Dip
    Head-Dip
  • Musth-Temporal-Gland-Swelling
    Musth-Temporal-Gland-Swelling
  • Suckle-Face
    Suckle-Face
  • Contact-Rumble
    Contact-Rumble
  • Pulsated-Trumpet
    Pulsated-Trumpet
  • Jolt
    Jolt
  • Husky-Cry
    Husky-Cry
  • Ear-Secretion
    Ear-Secretion
  • Solicit-Food
    Solicit-Food
  • Waiting
    Waiting
  • Suckle-Stance
    Suckle-Stance
  • Little-Greeting
    Little-Greeting
  • Trunk-To-Mouth
    Trunk-To-Mouth
  • Yawn
    Yawn
  • Foot-Forward
    Foot-Forward
  • Sniff-Ground
    Sniff-Ground
  • Bonding-Rumble
    Bonding-Rumble
  • Casual-Stance
    Casual-Stance
  • V8-Rumble
    V8-Rumble
  • Bend-Down-Bite-Vegetation
    Bend-Down-Bite-Vegetation
  • Allo-Check-Tusk
    Allo-Check-Tusk
  • Trumpet-Blast
    Trumpet-Blast
  • Touch-Wound
    Touch-Wound
  • Snorkel
    Snorkel
  • Strip-Branch
    Strip-Branch
  • Sparring
    Sparring
  • Estrous-Rumble
    Estrous-Rumble
  • Group-March
    Group-March
  • Trunk-Twisting
    Trunk-Twisting
  • Rumble-Roar
    Rumble-Roar
  • Female-Chorus-Rumble
    Female-Chorus-Rumble
  • Ear-Folding
    Ear-Folding
  • Trunk-Curl-Squeeze-Rip-Grass
    Trunk-Curl-Squeeze-Rip-Grass
  • Perpendicular-Walk
    Perpendicular-Walk
  • Procession
    Procession
  • Helping
    Helping
  • Let's-Go-Rumble
    Let's-Go-Rumble
  • Cadenced-Rumble
    Cadenced-Rumble
  • Mating-Pandemonium
    Mating-Pandemonium
  • Tracking
    Tracking
  • Trunk-To-Genitals
    Trunk-To-Genitals
  • Solicit-Suckling
    Solicit-Suckling
  • Legs-Crossed
    Legs-Crossed
  • Ear-Waving
    Ear-Waving
  • Social-Trumpet
    Social-Trumpet
  • Flehmen
    Flehmen
  • Begging-Rumble
    Begging-Rumble
  • Protest-Trumpet
    Protest-Trumpet
  • Play-Trumpet
    Play-Trumpet
  • As-Touched-Rumble
    As-Touched-Rumble
  • Maintain-Proximity
    Maintain-Proximity
  • Listening
    Listening
  • Attain-Higher-Ground
    Attain-Higher-Ground
  • Shepherding
    Shepherding
  • Phalanx
    Phalanx
  • Kick-Dust
    Kick-Dust
  • Trunk-Dragging
    Trunk-Dragging
  • Trunk-Sucking
    Trunk-Sucking
  • Separated-Rumble
    Separated-Rumble
  • Purposeful-Walk
    Purposeful-Walk
  • Head-Waggling
    Head-Waggling
  • Roaring-Rumble
    Roaring-Rumble
  • Rumble-Snort-Rumble
    Rumble-Snort-Rumble
  • Bite-Trunk
    Bite-Trunk
  • Kneel-Down
    Kneel-Down
  • Mud-Splashing
    Mud-Splashing
  • Open-Mouth
    Open-Mouth
  • Solicit-Play
    Solicit-Play
  • Head-High
    Head-High
  • Kick-Back
    Kick-Back
  • Look-Back
    Look-Back
  • Rest-Head
    Rest-Head
  • Ear-Lifting
    Ear-Lifting
  • Ear-Brush
    Ear-Brush
  • Social-Rubbing
    Social-Rubbing
  • Urine-Dribbling
    Urine-Dribbling
  • Contemplating
    Contemplating
  • Climb-Upon
    Climb-Upon
  • Drinking
    Drinking
  • Trunk-Tuck
    Trunk-Tuck
  • Forward-Trunk-Swing
    Forward-Trunk-Swing
  • Strip-Bark
    Strip-Bark
  • Mud-Wallowing
    Mud-Wallowing
  • Play-Trumpet
    Play-Trumpet
  • J-Trunk
    J-Trunk
  • Grumble-Rumble
    Grumble-Rumble
  • Coo-Rumble
    Coo-Rumble
  • Rear-Guard
    Rear-Guard
  • Resting-Trunk
    Resting-Trunk
  • Tusk-Ground
    Tusk-Ground
  • Rub-Off-Dirt
    Rub-Off-Dirt
  • Sheltering
    Sheltering
  • Tail-Swatting
    Tail-Swatting
  • Cry-Rumble
    Cry-Rumble
  • Double-Suckling
    Double-Suckling
  • Bow-Neck-Advance-Toward
    Bow-Neck-Advance-Toward
  • Musth-Rumble
    Musth-Rumble
  • Guarding
    Guarding
  • Trunk-Twining
    Trunk-Twining
  • Grasp-Leg
    Grasp-Leg
  • Alarmed-Trumpet
    Alarmed-Trumpet
  • Silly-Trunk
    Silly-Trunk
  • Submerge
    Submerge
  • Test-Substrate
    Test-Substrate
  • Dusting
    Dusting
  • Chin-Up
    Chin-Up
  • Head-Raising
    Head-Raising
  • Bathing
    Bathing
  • Nasal-Trumpet
    Nasal-Trumpet
  • Roar
    Roar
  • Trunk-Sweep
    Trunk-Sweep
  • Ear-Spreading
    Ear-Spreading
  • Tusking
    Tusking
  • Head-Dip-Touch-Ground
    Head-Dip-Touch-Ground
  • Head-Shaking
    Head-Shaking
  • Trunk-Bounce
    Trunk-Bounce