Elephant foot tapping

by Snorticus

@puddock poses an interesting question here - what is the elephant doing in this clip with the front foot? Maybe @NuriaM or @Pugli could check this out?

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Posted August 21, 2016 7:34 PM

by luca-chimp

Looks like nut-cracking 😃

Posted August 21, 2016 8:23 PM

by puddock

I wondered if it was nut cracking too but I couldn't see it then picking up the pieces. My theory is that it's a lovely scented plant and the elephant just likes the smell 😃

Posted August 21, 2016 9:42 PM

by luca-chimp

Maybe 😃 But you can see, that she is permanently sorting something out with her trunk while tapping ... Perhaps both. Scented nuts 😄

Posted August 22, 2016 6:23 AM

by puddock

Ha ha - like it 😃

Posted August 22, 2016 8:14 AM

by NuriaM scientist, moderator

Here I am 😃

the elephant feet are very interesting structures, with unique mechanical and sensory functions. They are designed to support a huge weight with the help of subcutaneous cushions, which distribute forces when walking or standing. Besides, they are equipped with sensory receptors (Vater–Pacinian corpuscles and Meissner corpuscles) that make them the most sensitive part of an elephant's body.

Both mechanical and sensory functions of an elephant's limbs enhance their ability to move through and analyse their physical environment, and I think this is now the case. This lady is checking the ground with her front limb 😃

see: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/6680069_fig3_Figure-10-Vater-Pacinian-corpuscles-VP-embedded-within-collagenous-tissue-in-the-foot

It is thought that when elephants move their feet with a slight horizontal tendency, they are ' listening ' to infrasounds, and if the movement is more vertical instead, they are just recognizing the ground. In this case, we see her moving her foot up and down.

A very interesting point here: she is using her trunk to collect something on the ground (I don't see much to eat there) and her foot to check the plants, and this is a good example for independency, meaning that they can use their trunk and limbs simultaneously for different things (it would be like cooking with your right hand and scratching your right leg with your left foot, for example).

She is definitely not nut cracking (they don't really need to crack nuts with their feet as their mouth can do it without any effort), but recognizing the ground instead.

great video!!

Posted August 23, 2016 10:01 AM

by yshish moderator in response to NuriaM's comment.

Wow, that is sooo interesting! Didn't know about their feet 'superpowers'. Thanks for explaining the behaviour @NuriaM 😃 It would be maybe a good topic for a new blog post? It is such a great information it is really worth sharing with more readers! 😃

Posted August 23, 2016 5:57 PM

by MimiA scientist, moderator