Do mice squeak, and are there videos of it? - briefly
Mice emit high‑frequency squeaks, particularly in pain or alarm situations. Numerous recordings, including YouTube uploads, capture these sounds for scientific and public reference.
Do mice squeak, and are there videos of it? - in detail
Mice produce high‑frequency vocalizations that are commonly described as squeaks. These sounds arise from the larynx and cover a range of pitches, typically between 4 and 12 kHz. Squeaking occurs in several behavioral contexts:
- Distress or pain: sudden, sharp chirps when the animal is handled roughly or exposed to a threat.
- Social interaction: brief, repetitive clicks during mating rituals or when establishing dominance.
- Exploratory activity: low‑amplitude squeaks emitted while navigating a novel environment.
Physiological studies show that the mouse’s auditory system is tuned to detect these frequencies, enabling conspecific communication. Electrophysiological recordings confirm that the acoustic signal is generated by rapid vibration of the vocal folds, modulated by airflow control.
Video documentation of mouse vocalizations exists on multiple platforms. Publicly accessible examples include:
- YouTube: channels such as “The Lab Rat” and “Mouse Lab” host clips titled “Mouse squeak when lifted” and “Mating calls of house mice,” each lasting 10–30 seconds and featuring clear audio spectrograms.
- Vimeo: scientific outreach projects upload recordings labeled “Rodent distress vocalizations,” often paired with high‑speed video to illustrate body posture.
- Institutional archives: university research groups provide supplemental material for papers on rodent communication; these files are downloadable as MP4 or WAV and contain annotated timestamps for each squeak type.
Researchers frequently embed these recordings in peer‑reviewed articles. For instance, a 2022 study in Behavioural Neuroscience includes a supplemental video demonstrating the frequency shift between alarm calls (≈9 kHz) and courtship chirps (≈6 kHz). Access is granted through the journal’s website or via the authors’ institutional repository.
In summary, mice emit audible squeaks in response to stress, social cues, and exploration. Numerous video resources, available on mainstream video sites and academic archives, capture these vocalizations with accompanying visual context and acoustic analysis.