The “Secret Language” of Elephants Discovered?

Photograph by Brian Snelson

Scientists at San Diego Zoo believe that they have discovered how elephants talk to each other in a “secret language” using frequencies too low for humans or other predators to hear.

It has long been known that elephants have communicated using the lower frequency “grumbling” noises as well as their trumpeting, but scientists have found that humans can only hear the top third of the frequencies of these rumbles.

The elephants can manipulate the lower frequencies due to the size of their lungs and vocal chords, and the sounds can travel great distances. This means that a female can broadcast a specific low frequency rumble to say that she is ready to mate, and it can be heard by males several miles away. Mothers also produce a sound signal around 10 days before giving birth, broadcasting the arrival of her bull.

The group of scientists led by Matt Anderson, associate director of behavioural biology at the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research, used digital analysis to investigate the lower frequencies.