Are Elephants Really Afraid of Mice?

You know how in children’s movies such as Dumbo, the elephants are always afraid of tiny creatures such as mice? Although this may seem comical, many people believe that this fact is true. Some people say it’s because they will nibble on the elephants feet or climb up their trunk. However, all of these statements are false. In the 1600s, an Irish physician was trying to figure out why such big creatures would be terrified of something as small as a mouse. He thought it was because the elephants were scared that a mouse would climb up into its trunk and suffocate the elephant. However, this is false. Elephants are not actually afraid of mice. In fact, elephants are probably more startled than anything. Since elephants have poor eyesight, something moving in their peripheral vision just startles them for a split-second. So next time you watch Dumbo, just remember that Dumbo isn’t actually scared of mice, he is just startled for a second.