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Hearing ranges of laboratory animals
Henry E Heffner1, Rickye S Heffner
1Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA. Henry.Heffner@utoledo.edu
Animal hearing varies significantly between species, impacting how they perceive sound. This review details hearing range differences in common laboratory animals, crucial for accurate research.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Science
- Animal Physiology
Background:
- Assessing sound effects on animals requires understanding species-specific hearing.
- Significant variations exist in auditory sensitivity and frequency ranges across species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and describe the diverse hearing ranges found in common laboratory animal models.
- Highlighting interspecies differences in auditory perception for scientific applications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing studies on animal hearing.
- Compilation of data on hearing thresholds and frequency ranges.
Main Results:
- Demonstration of considerable variation in both low- and high-frequency hearing.
- Differences in absolute auditory sensitivity among species are evident.
- A sound audible to one species may be inaudible to another.
Conclusions:
- Species-specific hearing abilities are a critical factor in sound-based research.
- Understanding these variations is essential for designing and interpreting studies involving laboratory animals.
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