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One important reason for elephants flapping their ears is to regulate their body temperature. Elephant ears have an extensive network of blood vessels all over them. When it is hot they flap their ears which cause air to move across them. This in turn cools the surface blood vessels; this cooler blood then circulates around the elephant's body. The temperature of the blood passing through the ears can be reduced by as much as ten degrees Fahrenheit before being returned to the body. Elephants that originated in warmer climates have bigger ears then those that belong in cooler conditions.

They are also used as a display of aggression to make the elephant look bigger in an effort to intimidate predators or rivals. It is also theorised that they are used to fan a scent produced by the musth gland (which is just behind the eyes)

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Q: How do elephants lose heat from their ears?
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Related questions

Which elephants can lose more heat from its ears out of the African and Indian elephant?

African


How do animals lose heat beside perspiring?

animals such as dogs/ canines also lose heat via panting (with their tongue sticking out) or some animals lose heat through large ears ( such as elephants, also by wafting their ears to cool their bodies)


Why do elephants have long big ears?

African elephants live in a hotter climate than indian or asian elephants. Since elephants don't sweat they flap their ears to cool the blood vessels down as much as 10degrees.The Asian elephant has smaller ears because in Asia there are more trees to keep shade but in Africa there are less trees so the African elephant has to keep cool by swaying his or her ears back and forth to make a breeze.


Why very big ears could be a disadvantage for elephant which lives in a dense forest?

In a dense forest,it is already cool enough for the elephant.Having a bigger ear will lose more heat,but instead the ears should be smaller so it would not lose too mch heat.


Do elephants use their ears to clean themselves?

No - but large elephant ears are used to control the elephants body temperature by letting off excess heat


Why Do Elephants heve big ears?

Elephants have big ears to cool them selves down.


Why do animals have large ears in warm climates?

To let off more heat from a larger surface area.


Why do elephants have large ears?

so they can hear better The elephants ears are equivalent to the radiators in our cars. As the elephant flaps its ears, the blood that is flowing through the vessels in the elephants ears gets cooled. The bigger the ear better the cooling mechanism.


What is the selection pressure for elephants having large ears?

yes elephants have large ears to cool down.


How do you say in simile for ears?

Your ears are as big as an elephants .


Do elephants have big ears?

Yes of course elephants are grey


Which has larger ears African or Asian elephants?

African elephants