Are elephants afraid of mice?

It is a persistent rumour with a whole collection of jokes surrounding this topic. Even 2 housemates of mine think elephants are afraid of mice. Come to think of it, I am unsure as to whether they were pulling my leg or not. I was quite certain the answer was no, but they insisted they were right. Anyway, the discussion got me looking it up on the net.

So, are elephants really scared of mice though? The answer is no. It is only an old wive's tale that elephants are afraid of mice.

According to Richard O'Grady, Director-Secretary of Glasgow Zoopark:

"My practical experience is that elephants are not frightened of mice or rats. In fact, if there is an infestation of hundreds of rats, as I once saw in an old zoo down in England, the rats will even nibble at the elephant's feet when it is lying down sleeping, causing significant injuries."

However,it is likely that the reputation for being frightened arose from the fact that elephants are easily frightened by sudden, unexpected sharp movements. Basically, elephants flee from danger and whatever that is unknown to them. And, as we all know, "A bolting rat moves like greased lightning, and this would make anything rear up."

Also, as one astute observer points out, the great disparity in size between an elephant and a mouse makes it unlikely that an elephant would even notice a nearby mouse.

To end on a different note, I read that a rat can actually last longer without water than a camel!