Elephants can hear through their feet to communicate over distances of 20 miles.

Elephants communicate using infrasound, which consists of low-frequency sounds below the range of human hearing. These sounds produce seismic waves that travel through the earth's crust at a speed of approximately 250 meters per second. Research conducted by Dr. Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell at Stanford University has shown that elephants possess specialized nerve endings called Pacinian corpuscles in their feet and trunks.These receptors are highly sensitive to pressure changes and vibrations. When an elephant vocalizes a deep rumble, the sound travels through both the air and the ground. Because ground vibrations dissipate more slowly than sound waves in the air, elephants can detect these signals from up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) away. This allows different herds to coordinate movements even when separated by vast distances.To better receive these signals, elephants often perform a behavior known as 'freezing.' They stand perfectly still and shift their weight forward onto their toes to increase contact with the ground. This posture helps them triangulate the direction and distance of the vibration source. Studies published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America suggest that this seismic communication is vital for finding mates and warning others of distant predators or thunderstorms.