The image of the elephant who was frightened of a little mouse is often used in animation. This fact is not called into question though if to ponder, looks strange that the overland giant puts the tail between the legs at the sight of a tiny rodent. Whether and on the business the elephants are afraid of mice?
Instruction
1. Myths about elephant fears are considered to be that elephants are afraid of ordinary mice as those get between their huge fingers and begin to gnaw them. This unflattering opinion on overland giants is connected with the Indian national fairy tale, it so took roots in the heads of Europeans that gave rise to new even more ridiculous conjectures. For example, that the fear of elephants of mice is put at the genetic level, like human disgust for cockroaches or rats. Therefore poor animals even sleep standing. Even more amusing the assumption sounds that the fear reason that the mouse can get to an elephant into a trunk, than will cause the mass of inconveniences up to asphyxia.
2. What mice are dangerous to elephants by Actually the mouse can hardly constitute essential danger to an elephant. First, the sizes of animals are incomparable therefore even the most desperate rodent will risk to attack on an enormous animal hardly. Secondly, elephants and mice are not competitors in fight for livelihood therefore growth of number of individuals of one look will not affect another in any way. So too you should not speak about genetic hostility. Who concerns love of mice to gnaw the elephant Piglet, it is quite possible if to assume that rodents have no intelligence at all. In any case in climate where both that and others live at the same time there are more available ways to be sated. Therefore to claim that mice can do harm to elephants it is impossible.
3. Whether elephants of mice so are afraid? Elephants are animals very careful and show concern if they face something unknown. Therefore rustle of dry foliage on which mice move can quite be alarming at big animals, but they will definitely not run in panic. Besides, sight at elephants not really good therefore they can just not notice a gray rodent. Zoologists and trainers conducted researches during which they put mice even on a trunk of an adult individual, but did not find signs of a fright. Therefore it is impossible to claim that the widespread myth about fear of elephants has some scientific evidence.