The peristaltic flow of a Jeffrey fluid in a vertical porous stratum with heat transfer is studied under long wavelength and low Reynolds number assumptions. The nonlinear governing equations are solved using perturbation technique. The expressions for velocity, temperature and the pressure rise per one wave length are determined. The effects of different parameters on the velocity, the temperature and the pumping characteristics are discussed. It is observed that the effects of the Jeffrey number λ1, the Grashof number Gr, the perturbation parameter N=EcPr, and the peristaltic wall deformation parameter φ are the strongest on the trapping bolus phenomenon. The results obtained for the flow and heat transfer characteristics reveal many interesting behaviors that warrant further study on the non-Newtonian fluid phenomena, especially the shear-thinning phenomena. Shear-thinning reduces the wall shear stress. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.