The AJOL web site will be undergoing some maintenance today from 18h00 (GMT) onwards.

There will temporarily be some restrictions to the available functionality: The site will also be unavailable for a short while.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Please check back soon, as we will revert to usual policy as soon as possible.

Main Article Content

Why do elephants flap their ears?


P.G. Wright

Abstract

The blood flow in the ear of the African elephant Loxodonta africana was measured In anaesthetized animals using the dye dilution technique at the same time as the arterio-venous temperature difference. The calculated heat loss from the ear is shown to be a substantial proportion of the total metabolic heat-loss requirement calculated from body surface area estimations. Reasons are advanced for believing that ear blood flow is controlled in the interests of thermoregulation. Behavioural fanning activity and the large ear surface area and surface to volume ratio suggest that this organ is of major importance in thermoregulation under warm environmental conditions.

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2224-073X
print ISSN: 1562-7020