Elepahant's ears

[janeyflop]

Could an elephant balance with only 1 ear?

[rio116]

hoping that thats a joke?!!!! In case it isn't,elephants dont use their ears for balance!! An African elephant has the bigger ears because it lives in open spaces in the burning heat,its ears are used as shade and the elephant will flap its ears to cool its self down,the flapping cools down the blood in its ears,therefore cools the elephant! The Asian elephant on the other hand has smaller ears as it lives in areas shaded by trees and doesn't use its ears like the african elephant.Both elephants also use their ears as a visual signal of aggression. If an elephant is charging, for example, it's ears will flap open and it will blow the earth with its trunk,if you come across an elephant like that,run!!!

[Kingaroo]

janey, were youthinking that their ears are so big that if one were removed, the elephant would tip over in the other direction?  My guess is no, the animal would learn to compensate, just as humans with one arm can maintain their balance even though one side of the body is carrying more weight.

Or were you perhaps thinking of the mechanism in the inner ear that regulates balance?  Humans have it, I assume all mammals have something similar.  I have had inner ear infections that make me dizzy, and I have heard of worse cases with people keeling over and vomiting from the vertigo. But this is all deep inside the ear, inside the skull, and would not be affected by the loss of ear flaps.

[Brinjal]

Yes running with the trunk up is generally a mock charge.    Trunk down beware.

[quibbmedusa]

ppl dont fall over with 1 ear so why would an elephant?