Humans have some of the best eyesight and a decent sense of touch in the animal kingdom. However, many animals are superior to us in terms of hearing. These are some of the world’s most hearing-impressive creatures.
One person may have naturally acute hearing, whereas another person may struggle to hear the sound of another person’s voice. Humans have an excellent range of hearing, ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, despite not having as good hearing as some other animals. However, some species have developed hearing ranges that are far wider than ours. They can use this to successfully hunt or avoid being hunted. Here are some of Earth’s top listeners and the reasons why they originally evolved such extraordinary hearing:
Bats
Although many bats are born blind, they are known to have excellent hearing. They primarily use this for echolocation, which facilitates communication, identification, and prey discovery. They generate noises with their mouths, mainly squeaks and screeches, which travel back to them after hitting various objects. They can hear the echoes and utilise them to navigate while flying since their hearing is so specialised.
Moths
Moths have developed a high sense of hearing on their own and are the most frequent meal of many bats. They don’t have ears, yet they can hear at an incredibly high frequency, allowing them to flee before bats discover them. Moths are adept at avoiding predators due to their keen hearing and camouflage.
Dogs
You probably already know that dogs hear far better than we do if you’ve ever struggled to hear a dog whistle. Beyond the range of human hearing, they are quite responsive to frequencies. They can hear the rustle of a rabbit in the grass, your footsteps as you approach, the jingle of your keys, and, of course, the mesmerising sound of food striking the bowl.
Cats
Cats, like dogs, were pets before becoming hunters. Cats, on the other hand, are a little more in touch with their forebears, as seen by their hearing. Cats have a remarkable hearing range, ranging from 45 Hz to 64,000 Hz. Additionally, they have much more efficient ear rotation than dogs, which enables them to detect sounds all around them. Because of this, they are regarded as some of the top hunters in the animal kingdom, pound for pound.
Horses
Horses have a highly developed sense of hearing since they were designed to be prey animals. Horses must be adept at recognising and distinguishing sounds from a distance since entire herds rely on the lookout horse’s hearing to warn them of potential dangers. They are able to rotate their ears in different directions as a result, and they avoid loud noises.
Pigeons
Pigeons can hear infrasound, which is sound that is far lower than what a human can hear. This covers storms, volcanoes, and even earthquakes. They can seek shelter in advance of calamities and torrential downpours because of this capacity. Because of their exceptional homing abilities and excellent infrasound hearing, carrier pigeons are used as navigators.
A hearing test could be helpful if you’re wondering about your hearing capacity. What you discover may surprise you.
