Elephants “hear” with their feet

Instructor at Stanford University Medical School, scientific consultant, and an expert on elephants has revealed that elephants use their feet to communicate.

Elephants emit low-frequency sounds using their large vocal cords that can travel dozens of miles through the air and under the ground. Distant elephants then can “hear” by interpreting the sound waves using sensitive nerve endings in their giant feet. Elephants can tell the difference between nearby and distant dangers and can communicate information such as “alarm cries, mating calls, and navigation instructions to the herd,” according to what O’Connell-Rodwell told KQED.