Rebecca Allbritton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>
>They had a special device with a microphone hooked up to it to make the
>sounds that the rats were making audible to human ears, because the rats'
>"laughing" squeaks were too high for humans to hear. That makes me think
>maybe other rodents can hear & make noises higher than we can hear (I know
>dogs can), and maybe respond to them like your gerbils were. Maybe yours
>hear mice or rats or squirrels or aliens outside squeaking. =)
There has been some study of ultrasonic communication in gerbils. They
definitely talk more often than we think! They also make ultrasonic
"calls" when they make sudden movements but these are probably due to
compression of the chest caused by the movement rather than an attempt
at communication.
DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN SEVERAL PARAMETERS OF ULTRASONIC CALLING BY
YOUNG MONGOLIAN GERBILS (MERIONES UNGUICULATUS).: Broom, D.M., Elwood,
R.W., Lakin, J., Willy, S.J., 1977, Journal of Zoology London, 183,
281-90
RODENT ULTRASONIC SHORT CALLS: LOCOMOTION, BIOMECHANICS, AND
COMMUNICATION: Blumberg, M S, 1992, Journal of Comparative Psychology,
106(4), 360-365
HOW ANIMALS COMMUNICATE: CHAPTER 25 - COMMUNICATION IN LAGOMORPHS AND
RODENTS: Ed: Sebeck T A - Authors: Eisenburg J F, and Kleiman D G, 1977,
--
Julian
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* Jackie and Julian *
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* National Gerbil Society *
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