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From the roar of a lion to the howl of a wolf, the sounds of wild and wonderful animals are a thrilling experience. Sound is essential for many animals to communicate, and hearing also plays a vital role. In addition to communication, hearing is used for hunting and even navigation, and many animals rely on it to survive. Here we will discover 10 animals with the best hearing in the world.
Bat
Bats are known for their best hearing of all land mammals. Their forelimbs have evolved into wings and they are known for their excellent flying ability. Bats use their hearing and a process called echolocation to locate prey and objects while in flight. During flight, they emit a very high-pitched squeak known as ultrasound. When sound hits an object (tree, building, prey), it is reflected back to them almost like an echo, which allows the bat to determine exactly where that object is. This allows them to rely on their hearing rather than their eyesight to find prey such as beetles, moths, and mosquitoes. Although the exact range varies between species, bats can pick up sounds from 1 to 200 kHz.
Butterfly
Surprisingly, butterflies have exceptional hearing and can even detect bats up to 100 feet away before the bat even senses them. There are about 160,000 species of butterflies in the world, but none of them has a better hearing than the large wax butterfly. The large wax moth can pick up sound at frequencies up to 300 kHz, higher than any other animal in the world. Butterflies’ ears are connected to nerve cells that allow them to pick up even the slightest movement or sound. As soon as they hear a predator, they change their direction of flight and begin to dodge. Some even cover their wings and fall to the floor until the danger is over.
Owl
There are about 225 species of owls in the world that are best known for their incredible eyesight. However, these magnificent birds of prey also have excellent hearing, which helps them when hunting at night. In most species of owls, the left ear is slightly lower than the right. This helps them better identify where the sound is coming from when it reaches their ears. Owls have been shown to have particularly good hearing at frequencies above 5 kHz. Large gray owls rely only on hearing to hunt, as they detect small rodents that run in the snow and continue to strike with deadly precision.
Dolphin
Like bats, dolphins use echolocation to locate prey and objects. However, these incredible aquatic mammals use echolocation underwater, not in the air. Their hearing is seven times better than humans, and they can hear sounds from 20 to 150 kHz. Dolphins generally make two types of sounds – clicking and shrill whistles and squeaks. Their clicks produce sound waves that bounce off objects and prey so that they can determine their exact size and location (echolocation). Although dolphins have small auricles near their eyes, they use their forehead and teeth to pick up sound. Surprisingly, their teeth actually act as antennas and they can sense sound vibrations through the jaw, which are then transmitted to the middle ear.
Dog
Dogs have long been known as man’s best friends and are loyal companions as well as working animals. They have much better hearing than us and can hear almost twice as many frequencies as we do. Dogs can also hear sounds much farther than we can – in fact, four times. Dogs can hear a lot of sounds than we do, so many dog whistles seem silent to us, but the dog can still hear them, even if it is at a great distance. Often people assume that dogs have a sixth sense, for example, they know when their master is at home. However, they did recognize the sound of the car and can pinpoint exactly where it is. A dog’s ears are controlled by 18 muscles, and they can tilt and rotate them to help them pinpoint where the noise is coming from.
cat
If you think dogs have good hearing, cats are even better. The ears of cats are controlled by 30 muscles and they can hear high-pitched sounds up to 64 kHz. They can even rotate their ears 180 degrees. Cats use their excellent hearing to hunt prey such as mice and birds. This is so that they can tell where their victim is while they wait for the exact moment to pounce on it. Cats are especially smart because they have the ability to filter out background noise. This is so they don’t get overwhelmed and can only focus on those who matter.
Horse
Horses can hear sounds up to 2.5 miles away. They can detect sounds up to 25 kHz and can rotate their ears 180 degrees. This allows them to determine the exact direction of where the sound is coming from. Hearing is very important to horses as they fly. They use their ears to gauge if the sound is a threat to decide if they need to run away from it. This is especially important for horses in the wild, which may face threats from predators such as mountain lions, wolves, and bears. Horses also use a range of sounds to communicate, and the ability to hear and respond to other horses is vital.
Wolf
Hearing, along with sense of smell, is vital for wolves who rely on it for hunting. Wolves can hear sounds up to 10 miles outdoors and 6 miles in forested areas, and with a maximum frequency of up to 80 kHz. Their ears can rotate independently, allowing them to determine the exact direction of where the sound is coming from. The keen hearing of wolves helps them to pick up even the quietest sound made by a potential prey. However, it is not only during the hunt that wolves rely on their hearing. There is no sound more haunting than the howl of a wolf. Wolves communicate through howls, whimpers, barks and growls. They use these sounds to warn of danger or warn another pack to stay away, and their ability to hear these sounds is essential for their survival.
Elephant
Elephants have excellent hearing, and their large ears are used to deflect sound waves, making them especially good hearing. They often communicate using a series of low frequency rumblings and sounds that are not audible to the human ear. On average, they can hear the cry of another elephant at a distance of 2.5 miles, and under good conditions, much further. Elephants are believed to spread their sound waves both along the ground and through the air in the form of vibrations. They have several receptor cells in their toes that allow them to pick up these vibrations through their feet. It is believed that this incredible feature is the reason why many elephants change their behavior and behave strangely before an earthquake, when they pick up vibrations from seismic activity.
Pigeon
Pigeons have the best hearing in the animal kingdom thanks to a unique adaptation that allows them to hear “infrasound”.
Pigeons are some of the best navigators in the animal kingdom. They were even used to convey messages during wars, such was the level of trust in them. They have excellent hearing and can detect sounds at much shorter distances than humans – even detecting distant storms and volcanoes. It was originally thought that these incredible birds only used the position of the sun and the earth’s magnetic field to find their way. However, researchers now believe they are also using “infrasound” (low frequency sounds) to find their way home. They can also develop incredible speeds. reaching 77.6 mph for short bursts.
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