Part I: 4 Hearing Facts about Animals

Animals, like humans, use their hearing in order to sense impending danger. Let’s learn some fun facts about animals and their hearing abilities! 

Do Cats Enjoy Music?

Any cat owner may tell you that their feline friend may exude grumpy, disinterested, or just plain bad behavior. Can music make an impact on, or even improve, a cat’s behavior? Three researchers hypothesized this and came up with the theory that cats naturally communicate with distinct ranges of frequencies and tempos. So if you put on some music that’s composed of certain frequencies and tempos, the cats will probably enjoy it.    

The researchers produced two cat songs, then found cats to play the songs for. They entered 47 households that had cats and played the two cat songs, along with two classical songs. The cats appeared to enjoy the cat songs by moving toward or rubbing against the speaker while these songs played.

The young and old cats were more enthusiastic about the songs, whereas the middle-aged cats seemed indifferent to them. 

Dolphins Hear Underwater with their Jawbones 

Dolphins hear underwater sounds by using echolocation. The cavity beneath their blowhole allows them to create clicks and whistling sounds, as well as other noises. These sounds echo back and the dolphins will use that information from the echo to learn about the ocean floor, depth of water, obstructions, predators, prey, and other dolphins. 

Here’s one uncommon fact: The sound waves that echo back produce pulses in the dolphin’s teeth and jawbone. The fat that surrounds these areas creates pulses that travel to the middle ear. Essentially, their teeth, jawbone, and fatty tissue function the same way that a human’s outer ear, ear canal, and eardrum function. 

Elephants Communicate with Each Other when They are 6 Miles Apart

Anyone with normal hearing abilities knows what an elephant sounds like. It sounds like a loud trombone. Did you know that they predominately communicate using a low-frequency sound that cannot be heard by the human ear? 

This is known as infrasound. Elephants can hear these low-pitched sounds from at least 6 miles away. Infrasound is used for many things from leading a herd’s migration to warning competing males during mating season, or keeping track of calves who have been separated from the herd.     

In 2012, researchers figured out how they did this. Instead of tensing and releasing the muscles in their vocal box, they create a noise that’s similar to purring, and force air through the voice box, the same way humans do when they talk or sing.  

Ears Located on the Knees? That’s what Katydids Have.

Katydids, or long-horn grasshoppers, have “ears” that are similar to humans.

Human ears feature an internal eardrum that harnesses sound frequencies, which leads to slight vibrations. Three tiny bones in the inner ears give off a strong vibration. This then causes waves in the cochlea’s fluid, and the waves turn into neural impulses and which are interpreted by the brain as sound.

For the katydid, the outer eardrum gathers sound frequencies that cause light vibrations. This makes a small plate strongly vibrate. The after-effect is waves in the fluids or something like the cochlea, and these waves are translated into neural impulses and interpreted as sound.   

If you or a loved one are experiencing hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation.

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