True Facts: Elephants

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Thank you:
Dr Andrew Schulz, Max Planck Institute
Dr Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell, Harvard Univ
Dr Joshua Plotnik, CUNY
Caitlin Hawley, Arizona State Univ
Dr Julio de Castro
Dr David L. Hu, Georgia Tech
Dr Jianing Wu, Georgia Tech
Bernard Dupont, www.flickr.com...
Michael Rose, / michaelrose17
Tiffany Lo, / tlotravels
Destination Uganda, / @bekuthman2
Mason Elephant Park & Lodge, masonelephantlodge.com
Wildest Kruger Sightings, / channel
Citations
Dale, R., Plotnik, J. Elephants know when their bodies are obstacles to success in a novel transfer task. Sci Rep 7, 46309 (2017). doi.org/10.103...
Deiringer, N et al. The functional anatomy of elephant trunk whiskers. Commun Biol. 2023 Jun 8;6(1):591. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-04945-5.
Foerder P, et al. Insightful problem solving in an Asian elephant. PLoS One. 2011;6(8):e23251. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023251.
Hoerner F, et al. Long-Term Olfactory Memory in African Elephants. Animals (Basel). 2023 Feb 15;13(4):679. doi: 10.3390/ani13040679
Kaufmann, L.V., et al. Elephant Banana Peeling. Current Biology, 33, R239-R258, April 10, 2023.
Lefebvre J, et al. Monitoring Thermoregulation Patterns in Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Winter Months in Southwestern Ontario Using Infrared Thermography. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens. 2023; 4(2):312-324. doi.org/10.339...
Li LL, Plotnik JM, Xia SW, Meaux E, Quan RC. Cooperating elephants mitigate competition until the stakes get too high. PLoS Biol. 2021 Sep 28;19(9):e3001391. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001391
Plotnik JM, et al. Elephants know when they need a helping trunk in a cooperative task. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Mar 22;108(12):5116-21. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1101765108.
Plotnik JM, et al. Self-recognition in an Asian elephant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Nov 7;103(45):17053-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0608062103.
Martins AF, et al. Locally-curved geometry generates bending cracks in the African elephant skin. Nat Commun. 2018 Oct 2;9(1):3865. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-06257-3.
Myhrvold CL, et al. (2012) What Is the Use of Elephant Hair? PLoS ONE 7(10): e47018. doi.org/10.137...
O'Connell-Rodwell CE. Keeping an "ear" to the ground: seismic communication in elephants. Physiology (Bethesda). 2007 Aug;22:287-94. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00008.2007.
O'Connell-Rodwell CE, et al. Male African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Behavioral Responses to Estrous Call Playbacks May Inform Conservation Management Tools. Animals (Basel). 2022 May 1;12(9):1162. doi: 10.3390/ani12091162.
Phasukdee, N., et al. Comparative Anatomy and Histology of Elephant, Human, and Tree Shrew Brains. BSCM, Vol. 61 No. 4 (2022): October-December. DOI: 10.12982/BSCM.2022.24
Schulz AK, Boyle M, Boyle C, Sordilla S, Rincon C, Hooper S, Aubuchon C, Reidenberg JS, Higgins C, Hu DL. Skin wrinkles and folds enable asymmetric stretch in the elephant trunk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Aug 2;119(31):e2122563119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2122563119.
Schulz Andrew K., Ning Wu Jia, Ha Sung Yeon Sara, Kim Greena, Braccini Slade Stephanie, Rivera Sam, Reidenberg Joy S. and Hu David L. 2021Suction feeding by elephantsJ. R. Soc. Interface.182021021520210215, doi.org/10.1098...
Schulz AK, Reidenberg JS, Ning Wu J, Ying Tang C, Seleb B, Mancebo J, Elgart N, Hu DL. Elephant trunks use an adaptable prehensile grip. Bioinspir Biomim. 2023 Feb 8;18(2). doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/acb477.
Stoeger AS, Baotic A. Operant control and call usage learning in African elephants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2021 Oct 25;376(1836):20200254. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0254.
Stoeger AS, et al. An Asian elephant imitates human speech. Curr Biol. 2012 Nov 20;22(22):2144-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.022.
Stoeger AS, et al. Vocal Creativity in Elephant Sound Production. Biology (Basel). 2021 Aug 5;10(8):750. doi: 10.3390/biology10080750.
Vollrath, F. Uncoupling elephant TP53 and cancer. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, VOLUME 38, ISSUE 8, P705-707, AUGUST 2023. doi.org/10.101...
Weissengruber GE, et al. The structure of the cushions in the feet of African elephants (Loxodonta africana). J Anat. 2006 Dec;209(6):781-92. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00648.x
Wu J, Zhao Y, Zhang Y, Shumate D, Braccini Slade S, Franklin SV, Hu DL. Elephant trunks form joints to squeeze together small objects. J R Soc Interface. 2018 Oct 24;15(147):20180377. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0377.

[@zefrank]

Check out brilliant.org/zefrank to get a 30-day free trial + the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual subscription!

[@TheIntelligentElephant71133]

Thank you for doing elephants or elelphants like a british, french or spanish person says 🐘

[@nyarlathotep1223]

Elelphants lmao

[@swedishmom]

In swedish it's called elefant 🐘😂

[@TheIntelligentElephant71133]

@@swedishmom cool 😎

[@TheIntelligentElephant71133]

@@nyarlathotep1223 yeah lol elelphants 😂 😝 🤣

[@tylerkrotenberg2704]

“Apparently that’s what you do with a PhD, catfish an elephant”. That is hysterical. I hope the scientists who did that study see the video.

[@ziggymarlowe5654]

It's not all work and no play with the science hippies. After the fun part they go write a science hippie study to publish in science hippie journals so they can go and have have more science hippie fun. I love science hippies.

[@me0101001000]

Jerry is a master with words

[@dominictemple]

One of my favourite lines. Chef’s kiss

[@notoriousgoblin83]

You have to be careful doing that. You don't want to bring a horny bull elephant to your position, especially once it realises you've cock blocked it.

[@jodymclennan1783]

You mean “science hippies”!!??!

[@jacforswear18]

“If the elephant lives long enough, it will die.” This is the kind of hard hitting scientific knowledge I stick around for 😊

[@metalmamasue3680]

🤣🤣 Me too, and the "Butt trunk" I mean, but trunk parts always crack me up 😂

[@Flesh_Wizard]

Every 60 seconds in Africa, a minute passes

[@ms.annthrope415]

The maharaja guru Bagwan shree Rashneesh didn't pass on that kind of wisdom in 30 years.

[@Ravie3]

@@Flesh_Wizardthanks Osvaldo

[@Ravie3]

@@ms.annthrope415he was too busy poisoning the salad bars.

[@BlackGryph0n]

“They can lift up to 700 pounds! Which is the equivalent of 700 one pound weights” I’m a total infant, but that one killed me! 😂

[@frogprincess412]

No way! My kiddos and I love your vids. So cool that you are a ze frank fan as well! Are you a Creepy Dave fan?

[@XfromDarkHorse]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJzQaJKjn6Zmjrs

[@troywalker8078]

I actually laughed out loud

[@doubledoubleusmokymirror4d405]

It makes so much sense! Me good at maths now

[@santi5395]

What weighs more? 700 one pound weights, or one 700 pound feather?

[@Thanatos2996]

“The smattering follicular landscape of a testicle” is without a doubt the most artful way I’ve ever heard something compared to a ballsack.

[@wickedcabinboy]

@Thanatos2996 - I absolutely laughed out loud at that.

[@daishiv]

Pure poetry! 😜

[@spinelessmoderate8715]

Word wizardry like none other

[@NorseForse]

Came here just to find THAT comment.😂 Thank you for not disappointing.👊

[@goldwing2000]

I had to pause the video because I was laughing so hard at that one. 😂😂

[@jobrown95]

“Elephants have big brains. Look at that one; it’s dead.” So blunt and so damn funny, Ze Thank you

[@elanacurl]

It's was brilliant, and I almost spit out my coffee ☕️ 🤣

[@janeeyre1990]

Analyzing a joke is like dissecting a frog. No one laughs and the frog dies.

[@134StormShadow]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@StephenKoplin]

That one got me, too. First belly laugh in a while

[@kechidonick]

"If he's so smart how come he's dead?" - Homer Simpson

[@nohbdyz3]

I never realized how terrifying looking an out-of- context elephant trunk was. Thanks, Ze Frank!!!

[@sendmorerum8241]

It's like a giant alien leech that can grab you

[@ItsJustKaya]

Its like teletabies vaacumcleaner but ig more terrifying

[@thejurassicwarewolf3300]

The best way I can describe elephant trunks is that they sort of look like... Mammalian tentacles if that makes any sense?

[@firstname__lastname]

I just can't get over how touching it is to hear all those elephants excited about a birth of a baby elephant! How they rush over and trumpet in joy! It just makes me love elephants so much more!

[@sara-9015]

Me to until the one elephant was pulling crap out of the other.

[@nekro5342]

@@sara-9015 elephant's gotta eat...

[@bunnieskitties293]

Dont see what the fuss is about. She just became a single mother with no dad in sight. What a total failure.

[@UGNAvalon]

@bunnieskitties293 A single mother with a bunch of aunts & sisters to help her out. :P

[@MargaretHiltbrunn]

Don't you mean "baybay" elephant, LOL.

[@perrinfan]

Elephants are so lovely. They celebrate birth as a group and grieve as a community. And their babies need time "to elephant." So sweet. I adore them. 🐘

[@blondbraid7986]

Plus it's so sweet to see the babies hold their mother's tails with their trunks, the elephant version of holding hands!

[@cherrycordiaI]

They're just really great animals.

[@jtgd]

@@cherrycordiaIyup. Apparently some behaviors aren’t exclusive to humans, and it’s very interesting

[@jtgd]

3:47 Jokes on you. I’ve done this for years

[@WormholeJim]

Also, they look a little like testicles. Or so I am told.

[@tvmcgameads2833]

9:50 I had to look this up. Turns out this elephant's name is Koshik. He learned to make sounds from at least 5 Korean words that he hears most often from his keepers. First time an animal has been recorded replicating human speech by putting its body parts in its mouth.

[@SetiSupreme]

Holy shit how wrong I understood what you wrote! 😂 I thought you meant that the scientist have discovered that elephants can mimic human sounds if the elephants keep human body parts in their mouths lol...I was just imagining an elephant blowing into Christina Aguileras larynx 😂😂😂

[@rainydaylady6596]

​@@SetiSupreme🤣😂🤣🖖💕

[@elishh8173]

It's wrong to keep them in zoos. It's prison for innocent animals.

[@fnafplayer6447]

Wait till elephants know what a bj is

[@yamihikarilightdark9]

And they didn’t even have to offer sexual favors and drugs to get it to happen. :)

[@misteraskman3668]

"If it lives long enough, it will die" Biology never ceases to amaze me.

[@jamiecurran3544]

I think he's referring to them being poached!😢✌️

[@ManoredRed]

@@jamiecurran3544 No, he is referring to the elephant losing the ability to eat due to no longer having working teeth, and dying of hunger. There are actually a lot of animals this can happen to. The teeth can be a point of failure in an animal's aging.

[@jamiecurran3544]

@@ManoredRed that's what I was thinking but the poaching would also work!😂👍

[@LatitudeSky]

I keep telling people, life is 100% fatal. Nobody gets out alive. And these people I tell, they don't like me very much.

[@rondohunter8966]

@@LatitudeSky You're talking to people. They are stupid. Try telling that to a hydra which can continue to reproduce itself as long as the conditions are acceptable. Aerobic microorganisms found on the sea floor have been found to be over 100 million years old. Just looking through Wikipedia shows this isn't as clear cut as one would think.

[@Willow76ny]

Watching a baby elephant figure out how to use their trunk is utterly adorable.

[@callmelittled]

Especially when they start helicoptering it around like a teenage boy!! 😂

[@100GTAGUY]

​@@callmelittled it must just be a thing in the natural world about dangly appendages that makes it irresistible to try helicoptering haha

[@The..Dark..Knight]

Its so adorable the way the mother gets excited after it got a whiff of its daughters dookie it hadnt seen in 12 years. Still remembers the scent. As a dad, i couldnt wait to forget the scent of my kids dookie. Changing diapers and gagging... Now if my son stinks up the bathroom, i dont get a bunch of fond memories. I just get air freshener.

[@joemroz1033]

Some poor doctoral student every day for 12 years: " yes, Dr Zimmerman, I checked Phyllis 's dookie this morning."

[@doctordemon5076]

That's the smell of shìt! 😂 don't tell me you never smell the kids themselves!? 😮

[@dejamoocathy]

I’m with you Dark Knight, I never want to smell my kids dookie ever again.

[@morganakira2045]

Dookie

[@The..Dark..Knight]

@@morganakira2045 🫵😃 AHHH You said it!

[@DanGamingFan2406]

My favorite thing about Elephants, is how mentally similar they are to humans. Great memories, tight family units, empathy, self awareness, mourning the dead, they're just so much like us.

[@elijahjarman2837]

I'd like to imagine homo sapiens emerging from the elephant family

[@masterman1001]

Elephants? Didn't you read the title? We're talking about ELELphants, here. Completely different, my man.

[@alexisgrunden1556]

And they'll hold grudges, make booze and get drunk... 😅

[@scottmaclaren4695]

What is a yight family unit is it similar to a tight one

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

​@@masterman1001not funny

[@danktorvosaurus]

0:35 As a former Kansan, I can confirm Kansas is exactly like a mucus-filled placental sac inside the uterus of an elephant.

[@vinsgraphics]

We’ve driven through Kansas. See, missus, that odor wasn’t me. Wouldn’t believe me.

[@jenniferwintz2514]

IDK, I live next door in Missouri. The part near me is moist and gooey at least in the summer, but much of it is super dry and sometimes flat like my aging sense of humor.

[@cynthiatrombetta4655]

Thanks, I'll drive around it.

[@GamesFromSpace]

Except less welcoming.

[@jennifergreen3538]

Current Kansan here. Being in a mucus-filled elephant placenta is way cooler because after 2 years you get to leave.

[@sallymcmanus9198]

The first time I saw one of his videos, my 7 & 8 year old grandkids were here & I thought that it would be a teaching moment so I called them to me. We got all settled with me in the middle & I hit play so we all could learn together. Well, 😳 it didn’t take but a very few words for me to blush & suddenly "remember" there was something important I had forgotten to do & needed their help with, lol. I shared the video with my son & daughter-in-law & we all got a big laugh & thankfully the kids never asked about the video either. That taught me my lesson to not disregard what might be pertinent information given at the beginning of a video. I still watch each episode for the education I get & the belly laughs😂 ✌️☮️

[@jamiecurran3544]

🤣😂👍

[@FEARSWTOR]

Really? No one's gonna ask? Fine... Did they love you enough to poop in your living room?

[@Soulraven2735]

You may have found out already, but good news, Ze Frank has a playlist of videos that are "Educational Editions", meaning that the more adult humor has been removed.

[@evilanno3394]

I am pretty sure that banana peeling video was made by one of my profs at the uni, he did a study on elephants. When they tried to see how they peel bananas, they failed at first because they gave them ripe banana's which the elephants eat whole, but once they gave them unripe ones they started Peeling them, but only when they were alone in the company of other elephant's they immediately eat it to make sure no one else gets it.

[@TheReaverOfDarkness]

"LOL Greg thinks banana peels are gross, what a wuss!" -other elephants' hypocritical response, probably

[@GandalfTheTsaagan]

"Look, I love my friends and family but my snack is MY snack"

[@HerculesBallsInc]

Reminds me of a study done on gorillas which found that they peeled bananas only when they were not organically grown, which suggests that maybe there is something on the skin they can detect. In nature, they just eat them peel and all.

[@zairac2564]

We needed your professor to be working on the pandas not having sex problem. There would be so many by now that people would be buying them at Petco, and they'd be the only universally accepted emotional support animal allowed on planes... until the maulings.

[@HerculesBallsInc]

@@zairac2564 In the last few billion years, an average species lasts an average of a million years before going extinct. And pandas are one of the older bear species, having diverged about 19 million years ago. Maybe it's just their time, yanno?

[@peepopopo7140]

Thank you for confirming that the mom elephant was reunited with her long lost daughter. That made me so happy :D

[@vnikyt]

Been wondering all video who the hell separated them for 12 years??? Really hope it wasn't just to test this poop memory thing 😢

[@Narutass43]

@@vnikyt It'd be kinda darkly hilarious if it was specifically for one poop test

[@khatzeye]

I was on pins and needles waiting for him to confirm that 😂

[@dasiro]

@@vnikyt probably because of the breeding programs they have going on around the world. In order to diversify the gene-pool some are separated and send off to another zoo to breed with a male from a different family, which may take a few years including pregnancy and development of the newborn. There also may be family-disputes and once a certain animal is no longer in the herd the troublemaker may be reintegrated. Often both reasons are combined to create the perfect scenario to keep a healthy and stable population. The reunion was just a was a golden opportunity for the poop-experiment.

[@Strype13]

The optimistic mind at work. My pessimistic mind stayed with, "It really sucks that they separated this mother elephant from her daughter for 12 years."

[@hippy282]

I love Ze Franks scientific terms like "grabby grabby" Always fun!

[@bobby_greene]

Fun fact; the moment an elephant is born is the highest off the ground it will ever be naturally for the rest of its life.

[@Xbalanque84]

*highest unsupported

[@TheReaverOfDarkness]

Or a fraction of a second before its death, in rare cases.

[@CookiesRiot]

​@@TheReaverOfDarkness "Oh no... Not again!"

[@sdfkjgh]

@@CookiesRiot: IUnderstoodThatReference.gif

[@HerculesBallsInc]

Let us say that hopscotch is not an elephant game.

[@debbylou5729]

The love and concern of the other elephants is beyond beautiful. I love how they all react. It’s like she’s doing the birthing thing and they all know to back off and give the mom room

[@Schlachtoros]

Elephants are amazing. Got to touch them in Thailand (we made sure that they were not chained and kept against their will), and it was one of the most special moments of my life. Their skin looks so rugged, but it is actually really soft, and their eyes are the most knowing and sentient ones I have ever seen in an animal. Absolutely amazing

[@hannahcorinne5388]

Unless it was an actual living-free-in-the-wild elephant, in which case you shouldn’t have been anywhere near it, it was being kept against its will. Elephant orphanages etc may be necessary but not elephant consents to being kept. Dogs and cats may have willingly become domesticated but that’s about it. And places doing the right work getting baby elephants on track or helping release adults in the wild shouldn’t be letting visitors pet them. A place that lets you pet a wild animal is somewhere you should avoid.

[@hannahcorinne5388]

Sorry to bust your bubble but you were a tourist petting a wild animal for funsies when the people supposedly caring for the elephant shouldn’t have let you.

[@MargoTheNerd]

​@@hannahcorinne5388 I agree - unless the elephant in question has been in captivity and around humans their entire lives (like circus and logging elephants) AND comes and goes willingly because they enjoy something other than food that humans provide (like music, massages, applause, attention). Ability to interact with them is a large contribution to fundraising efforts and some animals genuinely enjoy interaction. There's no way to make sure animals behave in way that appeases a large mass of tourists in way that is genuinely non harmful to said animal. But genuine interactions are possible, however rare. My childhood friend had the once in lifetime opportunity after to be a part of anti - poaching/black market campaign as part of his research during which they freed a juvenile and local rangers helped them find her herd. In the meantime, the lonely "baby" was entertained by humans in shitty elephant disguises. After release - after which the entire herd shown up around the lodge where the baby was temporarily kept and where the conservationists and researchers reside - as if to thank them. Ever since, the grown up "baby" started showing up at the lodge - for food and attention, to the point she became the main tourist attraction and the place assigned personnel to keep guests from feeding her inappropriate things. Fortunately, she chose to reintegrate into the herd fully once her own calf was born. I envy the people who were able to interact with her - apparently she was extremely fond of music and often came when instruments were played. That must have been magical, to see an elephant swaying to music, doing something just for the sheer joy of it, happy and free ❤ They can genuinely imprint on people especially if exposed to humans early in life but they apparently remember people even after single interaction.Food is of course a common motivator and I wouldn't say that wild creatures that exchange their cuteness for easy meal are necessarily being exploited - provided they are free to go and the food isn't artificially made scarce. Elephants have the cognitive ability to understand social exchange.There's no shortage of stories of local rangers from the anti-poaching foundation being rescued from dangerous predators (or other male elephants ) by elephants they once helped. They have the capacity to understand emotions we associate only with humans like gratitude.. and revenge (I think we all remember the story of elephant killing a female poacher and seemingly coming back to terrorise mourners). I wish we as people didn't have a tendency to push anything good to it's extremes and to take advantage of other being's kindness. Maybe then our ability to interact with these wonderful creatures wouldn't have to be always tainted by greed - or wouldn't have to come out of need to undo the damage our own species caused.

[@angeluslupus]

I love how this channel evolved from: some true facts, and also "mantis shrimp are the ancestors of clowns"; to genuinely educational, but still hilarious!

[@supersonictumbleweed]

Mantis Shrimp video contains lots of scientific facts that educate and entertain, I don't see it?

[@ianturner1704]

The fact A: actual biologists contact the channel to provide research and footage, and B: they even made a SFW version of the channel for classrooms, is pretty awesome

[@robertharris1748]

​@@ianturner1704 While the content has always been funny, I can't help but think that his father winning a Nobel Prize in Chemistry helped with getting True Facts restarted (after his sabbatical at BuzzFeed) with footage from serious biologists. Now of course, it stands on its own and everyone wants to have a True Facts episode.

[@najaB76]

I love that you and Jerry have such a tight relationship, but sometimes it does feel like he's a bit of a liability.

[@m____w____6981]

I've met Jerry. He's an odd duck to say the least.

[@Doxymeister]

LOL, not sure how Frank got in with someone who has so much trouble with "but" and "butt".

[@thehellyousay]

Me and da Boyz could takes care o' dat, but Billy's mom said "no".

[@DaddyBeanDaddyBean]

Someday we're going to find out that there's a "Me Myself and Irene" situation going on here and "Jerry" exists only in zeFrank's mind. Which doesn't make him any less "real", right Jerry?

[@Sabotage_Labs]

Yea... not sure Ze should've hitched his star to Jerry's wagon!

[@mjrchapin]

Another brilliant lesson. Imagine presenting this in a classroom to middle-schoolers. Undivided attention remembering it for the rest of their lives. Great pickup lines, too, for their social development.

[@Vhargon]

Today is favorite best animal, called Elelphants. Edit: for context, the video title used to have a typo - Elelphants.

[@katiehamilton7359]

Creepy Dave!

[@shifty1927]

Frank knows animals better than spelling apparently 😂

[@stevena105]

Helipants. Kind of like parachute pants.

[@stevena105]

New thread topic: Creepy Dave names for elephants.

[@codachara3256]

Ellinfants

[@purplehaze2358]

"So when it sucks, it doesn't suck all the way, it holds whatever is sucked; and then, it can squirt it back out into an appropriate orifice" I laughed far harder at that than I should have. I'm an adult, I swear.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Lol, I was in science mode and didn't pick up on that particular meaning😅 thanks, you're doing the lord's work 😜

[@LegoDork]

Reminds me of last night wit yer mum. interpret that how you will.

[@jonathandonley3299]

No one is an adult on this channel. Let's try and keep it that way.

[@killianmiller6107]

It’s precisely because you’re an adult that you lost your innocence lol

[@HerculesBallsInc]

I am pleased to report that often my life sucks, but it, too, almost never sucks all the way.

[@timleonhardt7824]

I went to the Oregon Zoo a month ago and saw the elephants. They're so majestic and such amazing animals.

[@hannahcorinne5388]

I’ve seen them wild. Makes seeing them in a zoo really depressing. No zoo can keep an elephant properly.

[@itatane]

Kinda sucks to be a Bull elephant, get kicked out of your family herd right when you start to go through those awkward teen years, and end up hanging out by yourself, or with another group of males who also haven't gotten lucky in months. (Male African Elephants usually get ejected from the herd right at about 15 years old, when they tend to start getting rowdy.) And just when you think teen angst is a thing of the past, you get a nasty case of Puberty, Part II. Part of the problem with Musth is that it's not just a time of raging hormones, it's also really uncomfortable. All of that dribbling urine can lead to infections and algae blooms on their plus sized members. Imagine jock itch that lasts for a month every time you want to get some action. Additionally, those temporal glands swell dramatically, and when you have an enlarged gland pressing on the sensitive nerves in your head, it can get excruciating. (Those of us with severe TMJ disorder, Trigeminal Neuralgia, or debilitating Migraines can probably identify with that all too well.) Bull elephants in Musth have been observed sticking their tusks into the ground to relieve the pressure.

[@katiekane5247]

Maybe why they're kicking their dicks 🤔

[@AK-jt7kh]

Aww now I feel bad for the male elephants 😢

[@Chaos89P]

The closest I have to those conditions are some nasty sinus headaches that sink around my eye. Not fun in the slightest, but I'm pretty sure the elephants have it worse.

[@queenb67]

TMJ and allergies are miserable. Poor elephant.

[@curiousKuro16]

An animal that is truly laid low by matriarchy. Many bulls also don't learn about important survival skills because they just didn't come up when they were with their herd. Many of the fossils of mammoths we have are males for this same reason.

[@dizzydial8081]

The butt/but jokes get me every time. This channel has to be protected at all costs.

[@artthounasty5877]

I swear it never gets old lmao

[@just_kos99]

The baby elephant chasing the birds reminded me of my toddler son chasing the birds at the Seattle Federal building, where we'd catch the bus home!

[@Frosty_tha_Snowman]

Elephants are my moms favorite animals - and I completely get why. They're absolutely amazing creatures, and way more intelligent and emotional than most people are aware of.

[@jasonmilks6897]

Also correct if you left off the 'are aware of' part. :D

[@Dwayne_Bearup]

Most animals are more intelligent and emotional than most people are aware of.

[@noobkaka567]

Cool story

[@PunakiviAddikti]

You could also argue that they're more intelligent than some people.

[@bowldawg4394]

you got that right, no elephant I know would spend their money on NFT's

[@GrandmaErin]

Elephants were my mom's favorite animal. She would have loved all of this, except, perhaps, the whole "butt trunk" thing. Thank you, Frank!

[@TheReaverOfDarkness]

You see, if you are recording her reaction to watching it, the "butt trunk" part is when you get the best footage!

[@frozenfeet4534]

​@TheReaverOfDarkness they said "were" ...

[@itsalladream]

Of all things, that would have been the exception? :D (I jest in good humor.)

[@pearkore6821]

My aunty loved elephants too, her funeral cards were elephant themed 🐘❤️

[@Hei1Bao4]

And you thought human brown nosing was bad. A trunk put it in, so of course a trunk takes it out. 😅

[@ollieworth7341]

Have been having a pretty rough time again but it’s always reassuring when Zefrank posts. Still hoping for that chicken episode, a “and that, is how the cockadoodle do”

[@lisachiappetti6092]

Oh my God if he doesn't use that line I am suing

[@Magna_Carta5]

Try psychedelic mushrooms. Seriously. Changed my life. They can rewire your brain, breaking those old, time worn grooves that depression thrives in.

[@lisachiappetti6092]

@@Magna_Carta5 girl what no one mentioned mushrooms

[@Magna_Carta5]

@@lisachiappetti6092 check into it, seriously, I am so appreciative of the day I stumbled onto that research. I had tried everything and was to the end of my rope. I feel like that time in my life before the gray ever descended on me.

[@ollieworth7341]

@@Magna_Carta5 I use them once every few months, I’ve got a few grams I’ve been sitting on but it’d probably be worth using them sooner than later. They really have helped me in the past, will have to watch the D&D movie when I take em

[@AgentTomcat]

As a native Kansan, I can confirm Kansas is indeed like a mucus-filled placental sac inside of an elephant, at least in summer.

[@Xbalanque84]

Well, that certainly explains Grandma Margaret's hairdo... Miss you, Grandma.

[@Cara-39]

That's exactly what I thought until this video claimed otherwise! Ze must have questionable sources...

[@ms.annthrope415]

And just as humid and smelly.

[@damiansanchez359]

And we thank you for that information.

[@Hollyucinogen]

Is "Kansan" the plural of "Kansas"? Sorry, I'm just a lowly Canadian; I don't know anything. Edit: incidentally, while you're thinking, do you happen to know what the plural of "octopus" is? I've been trying to figure this out for like, 2 years. 🤔

[@sethraelthebard5459]

"Smattering, follicular landscape of a testicle."...I'm just...wow. That is amazing! Only ZeFrank can string words together in such a way as to disgust, impress, and inform in equal measure. All hail the Avatar of the Internet!

[@dejamoocathy]

That’s the line that had me laughing so hard I had to stop the video.

[@patricewilcox792]

DISGUSTING VERBAGE OTHER THAN FACTS.😢

[@francinemiranda8409]

Were you so disgusted that you missed the many, many interesting facts?​@@patricewilcox792

[@katherineg9396]

Despite the humorous tone, I learned a lot I didn't know. They are fascinating. I'm impressed that citations were given.

[@doifhg]

In all my years of engineering and theory, I never once thought I'd see a heat transfer analysis done on elephant skin

[@theoldaccountthatiusedtous6767]

I was excited when I saw the math! I remember learning heat transfer, hair is like fins!

[@Jeremy.Bearemy]

​@@theoldaccountthatiusedtous6767 Damn cylindrical fins

[@emanuelrojas2]

14:23 Imagine an alien secretly played the sound of a woman saying, "Hey handsome" and the man hearing it is constantly confused where it's coming from. That's basically what's going on with the Elephant. Hella messed up.

[@stephgreen3070]

Watching that mama support her wobbly baby just melted my heart. They are my favorite animal and this was a great video about them. What amazing and intelligent animals.

[@charlesarthurfloyd7517]

Gotta love the double entendres. Your words are a gift Ze Frank.

[@lukesvanne381]

I knew that elephants are incredibly smart and resourceful. But the fact that they can basically send morse signals through the ground blew my mind, so cool.

[@HerculesBallsInc]

Giraffes actually hum subsonically and communicate with each other through the ground. Nobody can figure out what they're saying, exactly, though.

[@100GTAGUY]

​@@HerculesBallsInc probably talking about food, danger, and giraffe politics id bet.

[@haha-windows11laptopgo-brrrrrr]

This was my first time watching anything by Ze Frank and i absolutely love this him! I have never laughed so much while learning something new.... Teens would love this channel.. When you are learning..certain facts stick more because its been made memorable and i absolutely believe the humor makes it so much stronger and easier to retain!!!!! 😂😊😂

[@rosehipowl]

I inherited my love of elephants from my great aunt who lived in Africa for a few years. She would tell me stories about the elephants, like how they became her favourite animal after they started coming to their garden to snack. She came back to England, but she brought the love of elephants with her. She had elephant paraphernalia all around her house, wooden carvings and paintings and stuff. Whenever I see elephants, I think of her. She had a great sense of humour and a great sense of style - she always wore pastel coordinating suits with beautiful scarves and lots of shiny jewellery, and she still wore low/medium heels even as she got older. She had short spiky white hair, and was tiny, something I got as well (though I'm not quite short spiky white hair yet). We'd go shopping together and look in the children's section because we could both fit and it was cheaper 😂 and then we'd always go and look at the jewellery and go to a cafe either before or after. She used to work at the museum nearby (cleaning, not curating) and that was great for me because I have always loved museums. It also meant that even though she had retired, she still knew the people working there and all the sneaky bits behind the scenes. They've remodelled since then. She died in 2012 and I miss her a lot. She was a great aunt, and she was like an actual aunt to me. She is the reason for a lot of things about me. She gave me elephants and a sense of style. I don't know if there is a heaven, but I hope she's up there with my great uncle, the rest of our family, and all the elephants she'd watch in her garden, in a light pink suit. I know she would have loved this video, although she wasn't sure about the internet lol

[@shawnycoffman]

She sounds like a lovely woman. How wonderful it must have been to have known her! 😊

[@rosehipowl]

@@shawnycoffman thank you! She was, and it truly was ☺️

[@chezmoi42]

Life goals, to be a person like that. How lucky you were to have had her in your life.

[@rosehipowl]

@@chezmoi42 me too honestly! thank you so much

[@jessicathompson-gautreaux5992]

I kinda love your aunt, too, just from the description. She was obviously awesome 👌

[@justhearmeout3959]

Why do I always fall for the old "stick your upper lip out and flare your nose" trick 😭😭😭

[@Ces1um]

I’m so glad it’s not just me who falls for it….

[@ModeratelyAmused]

fell for it but put the trick as a spoiler so people try it before they see my comment. :p

[@Xbalanque84]

Keep at it, and you might someday catch up to tapirs (bloody tryhards).

[@J.J.J.J.J.J.J]

That was a great one. I enjoyed trying to be an elephant and then finding out I wasn't.

[@ladyaj7784]

I was at work 🙈

[@nursemelissajane]

"These days it's all kick your d*ck." Favorite ending line ever. Absolutely perfect.

[@soniasonia2518]

Ze, I hope you see how many folks you are making happy around the world by making these videos. My comment bar said 1.3k comments 4 minutes after loading. That means we all want to comment on you and how you make us feel before we even watch the video.

[@J.TiberiusKirk]

A little more magic was brought into the world today with another True Facts by Ze Frank release.

[@MrXyborg]

Truly, one of your greatest Ze Frank! Everything from the editing, to the facts to the humor. All on-point! I died laughing while learning!

[@davidclaudy4822]

What would we ever do without Ze Frank. He’s a national treasure.

[@geekdivaherself]

_INTERNATIONAL_ TREASURE❣🎉

[@insanospaz]

Tell ya what I wouldn't do. Be trying to kick my own dick rn...

[@sethraelthebard5459]

I learn more in a 20 minute humorous vid from ZeFrank than I do in a 2-hour program on Discovery Channel. this man is the true MVP of modern science/biology documentaries!

[@alphabravo8703]

yup

[@GodwynDi]

I am glad he is back making videos

[@itcamefromthedeep]

Ze Frank doesn't feel the need to pad out the runtime with garbage. The politcal economy of documentaries is bad.

[@SomeYouTubeTraveler]

It's all because of padding. For starters, they have to pad the runtime of the episode/series/special to maximize advertising revenue, and to boast of the size of the production. Secondly, if they give up all the info they have in one single production, they don't have anything left for another. I mean let's be honest, there's a reason it isn't "Shark Day."

[@Tonyhouse1168]

Ze Frank and Casual Geographic are my go-to nature facts guys

[@Bbthomask]

Thank you for making me not only learn butt, also - sorry - but also laughing to tears. “At this point, you’re just f*#%+#ng with elephants”. I can just imagine Attenborough taking notes as he giggles…

[@matthewjenkins3124]

Just came back from Southern Africa; afters seeing hundreds of Elephants across the regions, watching this makes me want to go back 😢 they’re such incredible animals!

[@alexfagnan7469]

South Africa looks awesome! So many cool plants come from there.

[@tanyavandermerwe8330]

​@@alexfagnan7469as a South African, i agree🇿🇦

[@xitaris5981]

Creey Dave shorts just don't hit the same as True Facts. *Breathes deep * This is the stuff

[@queenbee3647]

Dont be ragging on Creepy Dave! Hes awesome....and right behind you. 😎

[@geekdivaherself]

I, I have not heard of this channel before.... edit: OMG IT'S SHORTS FR9M HERE! But I see whatcha mean.

[@shawnycoffman]

It always makes my day to see a new Ze Frank video. Brightens my mood.

[@edibleapeman]

Legitimately one of the most fascinating videos on elephants I've ever seen.

[@sparklemotion42]

Thank you for letting us know that they reunited mom and daughter so I didn't have to go searching myself.

[@jenpink4298]

Same 👍

[@MsLeenite]

I wonder if the daughter cried to the Mom, "You got my message!"

[@sdsurfgirl60]

That really was bittersweet.

[@AlexTrevell]

Mom passed away this morning and decided to watch this today, seeing as she loved watching these videos with me.

[@jeremiahalguire8231]

I'm sorry for your loss. Hopefully when you watch these videos you feel nothing but fond memories.

[@aquifer9480]

It never gets easier but it does get better. Enjoy some elephant vids and the memories they bring.

[@AlexTrevell]

@@aquifer9480 Along with the more recent vids. Might go back and watch older ones with my sister

[@MasterKTSHIKS]

Wait she died and then decided to watch the videos???

[@AlexTrevell]

@@MasterKTSHIKS She used to watch them when she was still alive. I'm the one who decided to keep watching.

[@RumBrave]

I never want these videos to end, both for the humor and the true facts.

[@patricewilcox792]

Some of the humor ? Is Disgusting.😢

[@DonPandemoniac]

Seen separate, the trunks look like hyperactive sandworms! What they can do with the other 'trunk' is also eerily fascinating.

[@Chaos89P]

Like scratch their undersides?

[@ckEagle165]

Dude, I laughed so hard at the end, at your conversation with Jerry about the "kick your dick challenge." You're a freaking comedy genius!

[@inlovewithgoats1092]

Considering how large and cool elephants are, I'm surprised they weren't on the show sooner! Unsurprisingly great video

[@AK-jt7kh]

I think it's harder for him to get this kind of footage. It's really expensive & he has to track down enough people & make sure there's enough footage to build a video off of. The amount of work that goes into these videos is absolutely insane. It's easier, I think, with fish & bugs because they're an easier species to capture the spectrum of their life activities for. He probably only has to find one researcher & they will have most of the resources he needs. Also big business buys a lot of this footage on African mammals. I imagine that makes it harder to come by as well. He's really getting up there now if he's doing elephants I think? I hope he hires another person to help him with the work load.

[@AndrewCheshire]

I mean, there was that one backward elephant video... 🤔

[@kylestubbs8867]

I mean, one _did_ cameo in the Tapir video.

[@tessat338]

I know someone who worked as a showgirl for Ringling Bros. Circus. She was an alternate elephant rider, so if any of the regular riders was unavailable, she would ride that elephant in the show. She says that some of the elephants had very thick necks that were easy to straddle but others had very skinny necks and were difficult to sit on. Some were calm and just did the job, while others would shake their heads or bob their heads up and down. She could feel the elephant vocalizing at a sub-audible level in their throats. She says that during some shows the elephants were quiet, where on other nights they were very chatty. On other nights, only a few of the elephants would do all the talking and the rest would be more quiet. She says that you can feel the elephant vocalization coming up through the ground if you are standing near enough to the elephant. All the elephants that she rode were females. Her husband, a clown (yes, they met while working in the circus), was nearly trampled by a "Jumbo" elephant when he hurried out into the circus ring a few seconds late for his entrance. The clown husband was the one telling this story about the "Jumbo" elephant and he said how he came out of a darkened hallway, fumbling with his props into the bright lights, only to come face to face with this giant elephant, looming out of the dark over him. The handlers weren't the least concerned about the danger to the clown. They were worried that the elephant would pull his head up suddenly and possibly damage one of his very long and carefully polished tusks against the cinderblock walls of the arena where the circus was performing. To be fair, that was a genuine concern. The handlers were swearing at the clown and yelling at him to get out of their way as they were bringing out the elephant to the circus ring. The clown said that if the elephant had just decided to shift his weight a bit, he could very easily have squished the clown against the wall of the arena.

[@AHOY_MATEY]

Im so glad you decided to keep making these. Still one of the best things on the internet.

[@MichaelGalt]

ZeFrank's pun game is grandmaster. Also, every video is genuinely entertaining AND enlightening... almost impossible combo.

[@thrilleex]

"it has nothing to do with the elephant, but you look like an idiot" I can confirm this thesis.

[@dinomation]

Elephants are so amazing with how many adaptations they have for their large size!

[@YomaMe23]

I once watched Ze Frank vids in middle school to learn cool things. Never in my life did I think I would be working on the cool things in the video. Super proud of ya Andrew and thank you Frank for an amazing vid!

[@ravensmythe1]

As always, amazing, humorous, and educational video. Love it

[@JouelleBrick]

These videos are my favourite way to learn 😂 Thank-you for offering these videos for everyone to enjoy, you're a rockstar yourself. 🎉

[@BiconicBionic]

Thank you @zefrank for finally featuring my favorite animal! I've been waiting for this!

[@saculnezretep293]

Please never quit doing these videos ❤

[@ObsessiveClarity]

Wow the level of detail and clips exemplifying them in this is so good! Also talking about them in a way that gives real personality to the animal, makes me feel like I can imagine life through their eyes. Subbed

[@moumous87]

Saw plenty of documentaries, but it’s the first time I see an in-depth of elephant skin and how it helps retain moisture. And it makes me think that dinosaurs must have taken mud baths too. And the in-depth of their vocalizations… Zefrank is just great!!!

[@elephantmarch]

Aparnetly THAT is where the elephants-afraid-of-mice thing comes from: they're feet are so sensitive that they're hyper-cautious about tiny like things getting stuck to the soles of their feet, so they'll seemingly freak out of small moving things run past them.

[@dandilorenzo5895]

0:07 seconds in and Ze Frank hits us with ... "This right here what looks like a grape with a sinus infection..." is all you need to know how brilliant this educator and entertainer really is. 🤣😂😅🤣😂

[@benjesterw]

I love Elephants, they're so smart, sociable and dextrous with their trunks and they're freaking massive. Awesome animals :)

[@42Zeided]

Zefrank it’d be amazing to see you do an episode on Killer Whales! More specifically the ones that can be found off the Pacific Northwest, like the Residents (Northern and Southern) as well as the Bigg’s (named after biologist Michael Bigg, Canadian who helped revolutionize how to better identify and understand them, as well as a couple other named biologists. Also referred to as Transients but we’re trying to leave that term as it is representative) I’d be more than happy to help further as far as good reference material to find as well as knowledgeable people to speak to on the matter. Loved this!!

[@theresahemminger1587]

I greatly admire the amount of work put into research for these videos as well as the unique delivery.

[@s87343jim]

I'm just glad there is another upload from him, a long video too!

[@kennethbeverley1296]

You, Sir, are a grandmaster wordsmith. Mark Twain would be proud. I love your work.

[@soupbonep]

Amazing! I didn't know that elephants communicated through their feet. I know that they communicate with low frequencies that the human ear can't hear. Forgot that one didn't you Ze Frank? This had to be the cutest true facts yet with the baby elephants and all. How adorable those babies are!

[@iJedi_aye]

Wild herds of elephants move towards thunderstorms over a hundred miles away, presumably for the (rain-)water, and isolated members can unerringly rejoin the rest of the herd through their "seismic" hearing/communication.

[@mstieler8480]

"Must be a warm-up set, because they can lift up to 700 pounds, which is the equivalent of 700 one-pound weights." That got me :D

[@ivanstrydom8417]

Happened across your Chanel about a week ago ... So of course I have been binge watching every video when I get the time. I thoroughly enjoy this man's work. So happy that he is still producing such splendid content. You da man Ze.

[@1974rednaxela]

You simply make the most satisfying videos. They are very educational and me and my son always end up in tears laughing during watching :D Thank very much sir

[@NyanyiC]

I'm blessed to have have grown up seeing these lovely creatures almost every day😇

[@diyeana]

I love Elelphants! Also Caitlin & Ze Frank for their research in bringing us this video. ❤❤❤ Thank you.

[@Chauna30]

I ❤ elephants.They are my spirit animal. Just can't get enough of them. No shade but I'd tried in my fam for a herd any day! The amount of loyalty & genuine love they show to each other is beyond heart warming. I have watched every elephant doc i can get my hands on. My new fav is Elephant Queen on AppleTV but Disney Nature also has a great one as well. I've literally sobbed watching both & insist on sharing the wonderful world of elephants with as many as possible.😊

[@Jindorek]

Your videos are like pringles, you cant stop at one. Everytime you upload a new one i watch about 3 or 4 for good measure. You are a treasure! and Jerry is the hero we need.

[@mmclaurin8035]

3:24 "We're totally getting flipped off by an elephant trunk right about NER." 😄

[@SuziQ.]

Under appreciated comment.

[@Chymai]

This video was way overdue. Elephants are my favorite animal. And I still learned a lot from this video! Thanks a ton!

[@Lordodragonss]

Elephants are amazing. Wish they were even more protected.

[@sueparras6028]

Again ZeFrank you have amazed the hell out of me with your lesson on elephants 🐘! I learned a whole bunch while literally laughing my ass off! No really Jerry, you should have been there! 😂😂😂😂 seriously though, you guys are a treasure! And so appreciated! Thanks again! ✌🇨🇦🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣❤❤❤❤

[@katiekane5247]

You may never sit properly again 😢

[@Allyourbase1990]

I never knew elephants could pick up things so many different ways , and the fact that they stand on their Tip toes is so crazy

[@Sweet_Pup_g]

True Facts: Humans will be the most disgusting, vile and funny episode ever.

[@AspenBrightsoul]

When aliens make a human museum, they will need to dedicate 5 wings just explain all of online porn.

[@JustSomebody5]

That would be a good April Fools video, finale for the series or both.

[@preston74]

Yes!!

[@somechupacabrawithinternet8866]

"apes of the hamburger have this thing called "shitting" where they stand over a hole and crap on it before they make it spin, think of it as mail but its coming from your anus, that is how the apes of the hamburger do"

[@RisingRevengeance]

@@AspenBrightsoul I think they would sumarize most of what we do as "complete nonsense" and leave it at that

[@pst5345]

i love how every comic depiction of using the trunk is on point accurate.

[@ryanlemley4866]

It was easy to see how you have soo many followers. I knew there was something special after just watching two episodes. You and your team make nature documentaries fun.😊

[@TrojanGamer10]

9:30 "There's this sound. We won't speak of it again." So let's talk about that sound

[@BoomBoomBrucey]

Got all my dangly things crossed for an episode on Raccoons! 🤞

[@Xbalanque84]

Better yet, procyonids in general! Coatis need more love!

[@dbseamz]

8:53 "There's the classic trumpeting sound, which sounds a bit more like a lion trapped in a tuba" This guy makes such unusual comparisons and yet they're spot on. That's exactly what that sounded like.