Why does an elephant keep flapping it's ears??

its how they cool themselves off

Why does an elephant keep flapping it's ears??
they flap to keep cool, but also to show they're angry.
Reply:It helps them cool down , there are many blood vessels located in an elephants ears .
Reply:i love elephants, well african elephants have bigger ears then asians because it is hotter in africa then it is in asia. They flap there ears to cool down when there hot. if you see a pic of an asian your see it has smaller ears then the african.


thanks for askin,


jodie
Reply:Flapping the ears can express excitement and joy. In turn, the beating of the ears on the skin can be heard. This sound causes other elephants to prick up their ears and to get in contact with the first elephant.


In hot weather, elephants use their ears primarily to cool down, however.
Reply:it keeps them cool. like giant fans!
Reply:to keep flies off them and to help keep them cooler
Reply:Flies
Reply:The large flapping ears of an elephant are also very important for temperature regulation. Elephant ears are made of a very thin layer of skin stretched over cartilage and a rich network of blood vessels. On hot days, elephants will flap their ears constantly, creating a slight breeze. This breeze cools the surface blood vessels, and then the cooler blood gets circulated to the rest of the animal's body. The hot blood entering the ears can be cooled as much as ten degrees Fahrenheit before returning to the body. Differences in the ear sizes of African and Asian elephants can be explained, in part, by their geographical distribution. Africans originated and stayed near the equator, where it is warmer. Therefore, they have bigger ears. Asians live farther north, in slightly cooler climates, and thus have smaller ears.





The ears are also used in certain displays of aggression and during the males' mating period. If an elephant wants to intimidate a predator or rival, it will spread its ears out wide to make itself look more massive and imposing. During the breeding season, males give off an odor from a gland located behind their eyes. Joyce Poole, a well-known elephant researcher, has theorized that the males will fan their ears in an effort to help propel this "elephant cologne" great distances.





Walking at a normal pace an elephant covers about 2 to 4 miles an hour (3 to 6 km/h) but they can reach 24 miles an hour (40 km/h) at full speed.





p.s. Once I tranquilized the elephant in my ZOO, the first indication of tranquilization is nothing but stoopage of ear flapping.
Reply:lotsa big blood vessels in there, cools the body temp.
Reply:First, it's hot where they live so the elephant uses it's ears to cool itself off. Also it's a natural fly swatter too.
Reply:SO IT HAS AIR DUHDUHDUNHDUDH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...
Reply:they cool themselves off and keep away bugs plus their tail and trunk to keep bugs off among other things :D

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