Elephants occur in landscapes where temperatures can reach 50 °C. Due to their large size they may face physiological problems of dissipating heat during such high temperatures. In spite of this, no one seems to have considered ambient temperature as limiting landscape choices in elephants. We recorded hourly landscape use in free-ranging elephants using GPS collars. We also placed temperature data loggers in each of the landscapes, to obtain corresponding ambient temperatures for each hour. Our results suggest that elephants may select landscapes based on the rate at which temperatures changed and also for shade. We suggest that these selected variables provide a thermal benefit to individuals. As such, we propose that landscape use in elephants may be constrained by their thermal physiological requirements as well as other resources such as food and water.We would like to thank the International Fund for Animal Welfare for financing this project and the Zambian Wildlife Authority for allowing this study to occur. We would particularly like to thank the Ngoma and Lower Zambezi Area Management Units, Conservation Lower Zambezi, J. Hanks, J. Fourie, T. Simpamba, B. Kabungo, N. Fairall, S. Ferreira and R. Guldemond for their assistance and support. AK received a post-doctoral fellowship from the University of Pretoria. This study complied with the current laws in Zambia and was sanctioned by the ethics committee of the University of Pretoria (clearance code: AUCC 040611-013). The comments from two anonymous referees contributed to improving the manuscript
