Noisy Animals and the Sounds They Make
By: Andrea Silen
Animals make noise for different reasons—to communicate
with each other, to find mates, to scare off enemies and more. From the pages of High Five magazine, meet some critters with a lot to say!
Meerkats
Meerkats are fuzzy, foot-long creatures that live in groups called mobs. The meerkats in a mob “talk” to each other constantly, using more than 30 different vocalizations, or calls. They bark, cluck, growl, chirp and more. Meerkats use their calls to warn their families of danger, to keep track of one another and sometimes just to say, “Hello!”
Hear how meerkats chit chat!
American Bullfrogs
American bullfrogs live in and around places like ponds, lakes, and swamps. In winter, they burrow in mud and quietly rest. Once summer comes, they’re ready to make some noise! When it’s warm out, male American bullfrogs croak away. They may do this to get the attention of females. They may also croak as a way to say, “This spot is mine and no one else’s!”
The American bullfrog’s call is deep and loud. Some people say it sounds like a cow mooing. To make the noise, the frog moves air in and out of a sac in its throat. Croooaaak!
Hear how American bullfrogs croak!
Lions
Lions spend their days lounging around and roaming through their grassland homes. These big cats live in groups called prides. To communicate with each other, they grunt, moan, and, of course, roar! Parts of a lion’s throat have a special shape. This allows the cat to roar loudly. A lion’s roar can be heard for miles. These big cats roar loudly to show others—even those far away—that they’re in charge!
Hear how lions roar!
Bottlenose Dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins swim together in groups called pods. They whistle to communicate with each other. For instance, studies show if a dolphin gets separated from the group, it may whistle to let others know where it is. Each dolphin has its own one-of-a-kind whistle. This unique whistle helps the group recognize which dolphin is “speaking.” These animals make their whistling noise by pushing air through their blowholes. The noise can be very loud—in fact, bottlenose dolphins are considered one of the world’s loudest animals! The dolphins also click, buzz and more.
Hear how bottlenose dolphins whistle!
Andrea Silen has been an editor with Highlights for the past five years. During this time, she’s worked on books, magazines and other kids’ products, often focusing on nonfiction. She loves creating content that gets kids excited about exploring the world around them.
