When elephants are highly stimulated, they produce a trumpet sound by pushing air through their trunks, unlike most vocalizations that are made with the larynx. The reasons for an elephant to trumpet could be due to various emotions such as excitement, confusion, anger, playfulness or surprise. One can distinguish between these emotions by listening to the differences in the types of trumpets.
Low frequency rumbles are intriguing as they can serve various purposes such as communication over long distances, greeting, bonding, threatening, soliciting a mate, soothing, or giving reassurance.
A roar can serve as a response to aggression or to intimidate others, but it can also be produced in high levels of distress or even happy excitement.
