Singing Animals: 8 Unexpected Performers of Nature

Some people love to sing in front of a crowd, while others limit their performance to the car or the shower. Aside from humans, birds are also known for their ability to produce melodious sounds that seem to convey messages.

By definition, a song refers to musical modulation of the voice, which means that many other animals can also use their voices to sing. Here are some animals who vocalize in what sounds like a song.

1. Pacific Chorus Frogs: Singing for Soundtracks

Frogs and toads are among the most vocal of all animals. In the western American continent, the Pacific chorus frog sings to attract mates, just like other frogs. However, these animals also sing about the weather and mark their territory. When singing in a group, a dominant male leads the chorus while the subordinate members follow his calls.

2. Killer Whales: Singing for Peers

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the largest members of the dolphin family. Known as orcas, these toothed whales are the ocean's top predator.

These marine mammals employ one of the most sophisticated ultrasonic sound systems to communicate with their peers. Experts from Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park can distinguish fish-eating killer whales from mammal-eating killer whales by their calls, whistles, and clicks. As extremely social animals, killer whales benefit from their advanced communication ability when traveling long distances in 30 to 150 orca pods.

3. Antelope Squirrels: Singing to Warn

Antelope squirrels (Ammospermophilus harrisii) are rodent species living in rocky desert environments in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They are known for carrying their food in their cheeks, but this does not stop them from producing sound when they are alarmed.

These animals produce calls and stamp their forepaws as an alarm. Their calls are typically a high-pitched trill sound with a frequency that ranges based on their body size.

4. Beluga Whales: Singing Like Canaries

Beluga whales are a group of highly social and vocal marine mammals. They earned the nickname "sea canaries" because of the birdlike sound they make. They produce squeals, whistles, clicks, and chirps to navigate and communicate with other whales.

5. Mexican Free-tailed Bats: Singing for Love

Bats are known for producing supersonic sounds to navigate and hunt in echolocation. Various species of bats have distinct calls, but generally, their sounds are described as "clicks."

Bats also produce their distinct sound to sing romantic songs. In a recent study, researchers from Texas A&M University listened to hundreds of hours of bat songs and analyzed the messages these sounds convey. The experts discovered that Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) sing specific songs to lure females, then adjust the tune to keep them interested. The bats sometimes use their "clicks" to ward off other males.

6. Humpback Whales: Singing in Syntax

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are known to sing primarily to attract females. However, A recent study suggests that these ocean giants also sing to communicate locations and enable male humpback whales to determine if another is a friend or an enemy.

7. Mice: Singing at Supersonic Levels

Male mice (Mus musculus) flirt with female mice by singing ultrasonic love songs. These sounds are too high for humans to hear, although these rodents can also bring their songs down for human ears. To win the competition in finding a potential mate, some male mice are better than others at wooing by song.

8. Toadfish: Singing to Their Own Tune

A male toadfish (Tetractenos hamiltoni) produces a sound often described as a grunt or hum. This song is employed to attract females to his nest. Toadfish are not necessarily the most attractive of marine creatures. This means they need to be more creative to find a potential mate. A study reveals that each male toadfish makes its unique sound to win over females.