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.

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