Elephant and his ears

Elephant and his ears

Large elephant ears are also important for the temperature regulation. The ears of an elephant are made of very thin material stretched over cartilage and a vast network of blood vessels. On hot days, elephants constantly shaking ears, creating a gentle breeze. This air cools the blood vessels on the surface, and the coolest blood then flows through the rest of the animal's body. The blood that enters the animal's ears can be cooled to about 6 degrees Celsius before returning to the body. The differences between the ears of African and Asian elephants can be explained, in part, by their geographical distribution. African elephants are closer to the equator, where the weather is warmer. Therefore, they have bigger ears. Asians live farther north, in cooler climates, and thus have smaller ears.

The ears are also used for intimidation and by males during courtship. If an elephant wants to intimidate a rival or predator, extends the ears look bigger and more imposing. During the time of breeding, the males emit an odor from a gland located between the eyes. Joyce Poole, a well-known researcher on the elephants, proposed the theory that males shake their ears to spread this "elephantine perfume" to great distances

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