The human ear can perceive vibrational waves with frequencies between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, but cannot be perceived at other frequencies. Compared to humans, animals use a wider range of sound frequencies, which are actually beyond the range that humans can perceive, and humans can only hear less than 10% of the sounds they make. Recent studies have identified the top 10 animals with the most developed hearing, including moths, bats, dolphins, beluga whales, mice, wolves, cats, etc. Let's find out.
1st place, moth (up to 300,000 Hz)
Many people don't understand that moths are actually animals with excellent hearing. Moths have such powerful hearing, mainly due to the role of coevolution.
This is because bats, the main predators of moths, are one of the most sensitive hearing species among vertebrates. There are about 160,000 species of moths in the world, most of which can hear sounds from 1,000 Hz to 240,000 Hz. This allows many moths to evade predation by bats, and one species, called the Great Wax Moth, is even able to perceive ultra-high frequency sound waves of up to 300,000 hertz. Researchers at the University of Strathclyde point out that these creatures may be the world's sharpest hearing animals.
2nd place, bat (1000~200,000 Hz)
Bats are widely regarded as animals with excellent hearing and are the only species among mammals that can actually fly. They are masters in the use of sound, possessing both a powerful sense of hearing and the ability to continuously emit ultrasound waves while flying. These ultrasound waves interact with their surroundings and are received and analyzed by the bat's auditory system to help distinguish prey from obstacles, allowing for hunting or evasive actions. Bats have a wide range of hearing, perceiving sounds ranging from 1,000 Hz to 200 kilohertz. Although less sensitive to sounds below 10,000 Hz, common bats are relatively sensitive to sounds between 15,000 Hz and 90,000 Hz.
3rd, Dolphin (75~150,000 Hz)
Dolphins occupy an important position in the top 10 of the animal hearing rankings because hearing is one of their most sensitive senses. Dolphins rely on hearing for hunting, swimming, and entertainment. They can use echolocation to "listen" to where they are about to be. When dolphins make high-decibel sounds, surrounding objects reflect sound waves, and dolphins learn about their surroundings by analyzing these echoes. Using this skill, dolphins can locate and identify nearby prey, detecting creatures buried in the sediment of the seabed. Porpoises are known for their excellent hearing among the dolphin population, with a hearing range of 75 Hz to 150,000 Hz.
4th person, White Eagle (1000~123,000 赫兹)
Beluga whales are nicknamed "canaries of the sea" because of their distinctive sounds, while the distinctive bulges on the top of their heads are known as "melon-headed whales." Although beluga whales have no vocal cords, they have an amazing talent for language, being able to imitate the sounds of other animals and make 11 completely different sounds. Although beluga whales do not have a very developed sense of smell, this does not affect their highly developed sense of hearing. In fact, they rank among the well-heard representatives of the animal kingdom with their excellent hearing. The average human hearing range is between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, but the beluga whale has a hearing frequency range of 1,000 Hz to 123,000 Hz, which is a very high upper limit, making it one of the sharpest in mammals. As a result, beluga whales are able to hear ultrasound waves in the ocean that are imperceptible to humans.
5th place, rat (200-91,000 Hz)
Among those animals with excellent hearing, rats can be said to be one of the representatives of human headaches. Not only are they able to hear ultrasound frequencies that are far beyond the range of human perception, but they are also able to generate their own ultrasound and communicate with each other with sounds that we can't hear. Especially in the quiet environment at night, any small sound is enough to alert them.
No matter how subtle the sound, the rat will immediately stop all activities and carefully distinguish the source and cause of the sound. Normally, if one rat is injured, the other rats around it will immediately go into hiding
6th place, wolf (10-80,000 Hz)
Wolves are also strong listeners, and their sense of hearing and smell play a vital role when hunting. Studies have shown that wolves are able to hear sounds between about 10 hertz and 80 kilohertz, which means that wolves can hear lower and higher frequencies than humans. In nature, many animals produce sounds with frequencies within the wolf's hearing range, which allows the wolf to concentrate on listening to important sounds such as the cry of prey or potential danger signals in a noisy environment. In open areas, they can hear sounds up to 16 kilometers away, and in forested areas, the distance can also reach 10 kilometers.
7th place, Cat (45-65,000 Hz)
Cats are one of the most excellent hearing pets, they can hear higher frequencies than most humans or other animals such as dogs, and are especially sensitive to high-frequency sounds. Therefore, when someone makes a shrill call, the cat will react more strongly to it. Domestic cats will sometimes suddenly raise their heads, wide-eyed, and remain motionless without an obvious target, which does not necessarily mean that it is looking at something, and is likely listening to sounds that are outside of human hearing in a certain direction.
In addition, as an evolution to adapt to their excellent hearing, the muscles around the cat's ears are very developed, which allows their ears to rotate up to 180 degrees, thus expanding the range of their collected sound waves, further enhancing their hearing coverage.
8th place, opossum (500-64,000 Hz)
Opossums are known for their ability to play dead, and despite their physical resemblance to rats, they have a pointed snout, hairless ears, and a long, hairless tail. This long tail is not only used for balance, but also as a "hand"-like tool to help them hold on to tree trunks or reach small objects. Due to their fluffy coats, clean coat color, and innocent eyes, possums look more attractive than mice.
The opossum is known as the "brakeman" for its characteristic trick of suddenly stopping and bewildering its pursuers during a gallop, and then suddenly jumping up and running away. Opossums have many natural predators, including wolves, dogs, and other predators, so their hearing is not significantly different from these predators, and they are kept at a keen level to help them be alert to the dangers around them.
9th place, rabbit (50-60,000 Hz)
When it comes to animals with sensitive ears, many people, including me, think of rabbits. Rabbit ears are usually long and large, some erect and some drooping, which often becomes part of the characteristics of their breed. In addition to being an organ of hearing, rabbit ears can also assist in regulating body temperature, helping to dissipate body heat when the ears are erect and helping to keep warm when attached to the sides of the body. Rabbits hear frequencies ranging from about 50 to 60,000 Hz, with the most sensitive range being between 1,000 and 16,000 Hz. In this range, rabbits are able to distinguish sounds of about 3 decibels.
The rabbit is a timid animal that can be alarmed by sudden noises, strangers, and other unknown animals such as cats and dogs. This sensitive trait in rabbits is also an adaptive response to their survival in the wild.
10th place, dog (15-50,000 Hz)
As an excellent representative of hearing in the animal kingdom, dogs are among the best in animal hearing rankings. Their ability to hear is closely related to breed and age. Similar to humans, the hearing range of certain dog breeds shrinks with age, especially German Shepherds and Miniature Poodles, among others.
Dogs have a hearing range of about 3,000 hertz to 12,000 hertz, and they are able to hear sounds that are 5 to 15 decibels weaker than humans. Dogs' sensitive hearing of high-pitched sounds allows them to quickly detect high-pitched screams from small animals, but this also causes them to be more sensitive and uncomfortable to high-pitched sounds from vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, hair dryers, and power tools than humans. Since dogs hear higher sounds than humans, their auditory perception of the world is different from humans. Sounds that seem loud to humans often emit high-frequency tones, which may scare away dogs.
In the list of the most developed animal hearing, the hearing range of the animal is mainly considered, and the relevant rankings and lists of the Internet are comprehensively referenced to give the above list. Please note that this list is for entertainment purposes only and comments are welcome at the end of this article!