The African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest and heaviest living land mammal on earth, with an adult elephant weighing between 2,270-6,350kg and can grow as tall as 13ft. Despite their size, elephants can walk almost silently.
‘A thick epidermal layer of tissue acts as an incredible shock absorber, it helps maintain grip on the ground and for the elephant to move silently’
The African Elephants have a complex structure in the anatomy of their feet. So much it allows them to naturally walk on the tips of their toes. A large portion of the elephant’s foot is made up of elastic, fibrous, fatty tissue. This soft padding is made up of a thick epidermal layer of tissue that acts as an incredible shock absorber, it helps maintain grip on the ground and for the elephant to move silently. The cushion anatomy of the foot helps the elephant to move comfortably and sustain the amount of force impacted on it with each step. As the foot compresses, it increases its surface area, distributing the force over a large area to reduce the stress levels inflicted on the foot. This also helps to absorb sound by smothering any objects beneath it, this muffles the sound and allows them to move quietly even at a swift pace. This mechanism of the foot also helps elephants walk through deep mud without difficulty. As the elephant steps through the mud the circumference of the foot decreases, which helps reduce the suction. Elephants spend a lot of their lives travelling long distances and their feet are fully adapted to allow them to travel comfortably.
‘The high concentration of sensory receptors in their feet make them one of the most sensitive parts of their body‘
Similar to our fingerprint, the patterns and ridges left behind by the sole of an elephant’s foot is quite distinctive. It is also possible to predict the age of an elephant by their foot print. Younger elephants have more defined lines left behind, whereas older elephants have smoother ridges and worn heels.
When faced with danger, elephants launch a mock charge, displaying ground stomping, ear flapping and frantic vocals designed to warn off predators. Researchers have discovered that the stomping and low-frequency rumbling creates seismic waves that can travel up to 20 miles in the ground and along the earths surface according to the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA). Incredibly, elephants can detect these vibrations through their sensitive feet and can interpret them as warning signals from other elephants. They can detect earth tremors, thunderstorms and vibrations from the hoof beats of distant animals in the same way. The high concentration of sensory receptors in their feet make them one of the most sensitive parts of their body.
The African Elephant impressive mechanical and sensory function in the feet improve their ability to travel comfortably across long distances whilst analysing their physical environment.
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Resources
- Stanford University. “Elephants Pick Up Good Vibrations — Through Their Feet.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 March 2001. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/03/010312071729.htm>.
- Weissengruber, G. E., Egger, G. F., Hutchinson, J. R., Groenewald, H. B., Elsässer, L., Famini, D., & Forstenpointner, G. (2006). The structure of the cushions in the feet of African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Journal of anatomy, 209(6), 781–792. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00648.x
