How do animals perceive music? Animals and Music: The Influence of Music on Animals, Animals with Musical Ear Animals capable of choral singing before hunting.

Indeed, do animals like our music, or is it too intellectual matter for them? Many are convinced that animals share their tastes, and will also be bored without the “musical wave” turned on around the clock. The question is not so simple, because different people like absolutely different styles and melodies. But people own the conversational genre and can somehow explain their preferences, which cannot be said about animals. However, some regularities were established.

It is believed that human music is too difficult for animals to perceive. It is believed that the vocal ranges and heart rates of animals are different from humans, so animals are simply not able to enjoy songs. Studies show that, as a rule, animals have no interest in human music. But!

“Many animals have absolute hearing, however, they are not able to distinguish the relative pitches of sounds. They can learn to recognize a sequence of notes, but if you transpose the notes to a different key while using the same sequence of notes, they don't recognize the melody," says veterinary psychologist Snowdon.

It is known that animals hear high-frequency sounds well and therefore appropriate whistles are often used in training with them. Similar siren whistles are also used to scare away, for example, dogs. Circus and parade horses are clearly in time when the orchestra sounds. Rhythm is well given to the same dogs that dance to marches in the circus. Rats love Mozart, this has been proven by numerous experiments. Some species of monkeys sing almost like a human. Sharks and even goldfish (unlike some people) react to classical music and are able to distinguish between compositions.

Domestic tuziki can howl their favorite melody, but they do not adjust to the tone, but rather try to make their voice drown out the others; this tradition apparently originates from the orders in the wolf pack. It has been established that large breeds of dogs of the Molossian type have a vocal range that is similar to that of a human. It is possible that such dogs may respond to music in our frequency range. A large dog is generally more sensitive to human music than a small breed dog. At Carnegie Hall, three dogs and a choir once performed Kirk Nurok's Howl, then the composer wrote a sonata for piano and dog.

Jaco parrots love something rhythmic, like reggae, and calm down, surprisingly, under the menacing overflows of Bach's toccata. And some are more willing to listen to reggae, while others are more fond of the classics. It was found that parrots do not tolerate electronic music.

Elephants have musical memory and hearing, they are even able to memorize melodies of three notes. Big-eared giants are more fond of the violin and bass sounds of brass pipes than the shrill flute. In Africa, these animals sometimes gorge themselves on fermented fallen fruit, and under the influence of alcohol, like Homo Sapiens, they begin to rage. Then locals multi-ton drunkards are chased away with rock music, repeatedly amplified by equipment.

With rock music, jazz and stuff" heavy metal", in general, trouble. They definitely do not like normal living organisms, moreover, they literally cause physical disorders. Chickens are convulsing and stop laying, cows are being milked, cats are huddled under the bed, rodents are leaving their homes. In beef, which during its lifetime was exposed to heavy melodies, substances are found that are similar to the destructive effect of stress. Classical music, on the other hand, evokes positive emotions. In German barns, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky sound softly, this increases growth, and almost doubles milk yield. The shepherd's pipe - it turns out that it was not just entertainment, but a useful thing.

Created on 18.09.2011 04:08

Everyone knows that birds and insects can selflessly sing, people, of course, also enjoy singing. But what about other animals? Biologists define a song as "a sound made by an animal during the breeding season to attract the attention of a mate and/or protect territory," but listening to whale songs, it's hard to imagine that they are only there for mating or defense. Do some animals get real pleasure from singing, like people do? Let's get acquainted with some earthly creatures whose sounds are suspiciously like a song.

Toadfish can be tenors

Toad fish is the only fish in the world that sings like a bird and in two voices. The song of the male toadfish is intended to attract females. Cornell University animal researcher Andrew Bass explains that this sound is not as complex as those heard from mammals and birds, and is in the simplest way communication. But the parts of the nervous system that produce these sounds are the easiest to study in these fish.

Mice sing at an ultrasonic level

Did you know that mice are as seductive singers as Ricky Martin? Male mice sing ultrasonic love songs when flirting with a female, but some male mice are better at song courtship than others, making them the "rock stars" of the mouse world. Their songs are too high for the human ear, but sometimes mice can lower the sound level of the singing. History knows a singing mouse that squeaked and trilled in a Chicago orphanage in the early 20th century.

Humpback whales sing syntactically

These majestic animals are known to sing primarily to attract mates, but a recent study suggests they also make sounds to locate themselves. The study also reports that whales use grammar in songs. Humpback whales are on the verge of extinction due to human hunting. It is estimated that before commercial whaling there were about 15 thousand of these whales, but now there are only 1 to 2 thousand of them. you can listen to the songs of humpback whales.

Bulldog the bats sing for love

Bats are known for their ultrasonic sound, but did you know that they use an ultrasonic level to sing romantic songs? University of Texas researchers listened to hundreds of hours of singing bats and determined that bulldog bats sing special songs for females. These animals also use their trills to ward off other males.

Antelope ground squirrels produce trills

Antelope ground squirrels are common in the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, this omnivore loves to live in the desert bushes. Antelope ground squirrels are excellent burrowers and make their homes in the ground to avoid predators and the heat. Although they wear food behind their cheeks, this does not prevent them from using trills as a means of communication.

Orca dolphins sing to each other

Humpback whales are not the only ones marine mammals who can sing. Killer whales are the most major representatives of the dolphin family, and they use one of the most intricate ultrasound systems as their means of communication. As noted in the studies, not only do they have regional dialects that cause slight variations in sound depending on geographical distribution, each animal also has two individual call signs. This improved ability to communicate is due to the fact that they are unusually herd animals and often travel in packs of 30-150 individuals.

Pacific marsh tree frogs sing for audio tracks movies

Frogs are well known for their vocal abilities. The Pacific tree frog lives along the west coast of America from Canada to Mexico. Like other frogs, these animals sing to attract mates, but they also use their singing to inform about the weather and define territory. Croaking sounds and songs are often recorded for use as soundtracks in films.

Beluga whales - sea canaries

Beluga whales are unusually capable singers and are often referred to as sea canaries because of the bird sounds they make. Jean-Michel Cousteau once said: "Belugas are worth protecting, if only for their own sake, for the beauty of their songs."

We cannot determine for certain how other beings hear music, but we can determine the influence through experiments. various kinds animal music. Animals can hear very high-pitched sounds and are therefore often trained with high-pitched whistles.

Nikolai Nepomniachtchi can be called the first person to conduct research on music and animals. According to the research of this scientist, it was precisely found out that animals grasp the rhythm well, for example, circus horses accurately fall into time when the orchestra sounds. Dogs also catch the rhythm well (in the circus they dance, and domestic dogs can sometimes howl to their favorite melody).

Heavy music for birds and elephants

In Europe, an experiment was conducted at a poultry farm. The chicken was turned on heavy music, and the bird began to spin on the spot, then fell on its side and twitched in a spasm. But this experiment raises the question: what kind of heavy music was it and how loud? After all, if the music is loud, it's easy to drive anyone crazy, even an elephant. Speaking of elephants - in Africa, when these animals eat fermented fruits and start to rage, the locals drive them away with rock music that is played through an amplifier.

And scientists also conducted an experiment on carps: some fish were placed in vessels closed from light, others in light ones. In the first case, the growth of carps slowed down, but when they were periodically set, their growth became normal. It has also been found that destructive music negatively affects animals, which is quite obvious.

Animals with a musical ear

Scientists conducted a series of experiments with Jaco parrots and found that these birds love something rhythmic, like reggae, and calm down, surprisingly, under the dramatic toccatas of Bach. Remarkably, parrots have a personality: different birds(zhako) musical tastes differed: some listened to reggae, others were more fond of classical compositions. It was also accidentally found that parrots do not like electronic music.

It was found that rats love Mozart (during the experiments they were given records), but few of them still prefer modern music to the classics.

Sir Edward William Edgar, known for his enigma variations, befriends the dog Dan, whose owner is a London organist. At choir rehearsals, it was noticed that the dog growls at false choristers, which earned him the respect of Sir Edward, who even dedicated one of his enigma variations to the four-legged friend.

Elephants have a musical memory and ear, they are able to memorize three-note melodies, and they are more fond of the violin and bass sounds of low brass instruments than the shrill flute. Japanese scientists have found that even goldfish (unlike some people) react to and are able to make differences in compositions.

Animals in musical projects

Let's take a look at the animals that have been involved in various unusual musical projects.

As noted above, dogs tend to howl to lingering compositions and voices, but they do not try to adjust to the tone, but rather try to keep their voice so that it drowns out the neighboring ones; this animal tradition originates from wolves. But, despite their musical features, dogs sometimes participate in serious musical projects. For example, at Carnegie Hall, three dogs and twenty vocalists performed Kirk Nurok's "Howl"; three years later, this composer, inspired by the result, will write a sonata for a dog.

There are other musical groups in which animals participate. So there is a "heavy" group Insect Grinder, where a cricket acts as a vocalist; and in Hatebeak the vocalist is a parrot; two pit bulls “sing” in the Caninus team.

Wolves are animals that are known to all predators. About wolves there are many tales and sayings that describe him either as a ferocious beast, or as a domesticated animal. In fact, the wolf cannot be attributed to either one or the other.

The wolf is an animal, which is a mammal from the canine order. According to research, it is he who is the ancestor of the home. They grow about 160 centimeters in length and weigh 60 kilograms.

Today, this animal has more than 35 subspecies of its kind. Relatives live in various parts Sveta. All of them are of different sizes and colors, but one thing unites them - they are predators!

In my own way appearance the wolf resembles a large pointed-eared dog. Paws - high and thin, they can hardly be called massive. The withers are set high, the muzzle is large, which distinguishes this genus from dogs.

Wolves have a good ability to adapt. They can travel long distances and still feel at home. These predators have an excellent sense of smell and acute hearing. They can smell their prey for 2-3 kilometers.

Below pictured wolf, has thick and beautiful fur. It consists of two layers: an inner down and outer long hairs. They are tough and repel water well. This representative of the animal world has a large and thick tail, which is always down.

The teeth of the wolf are sharp as a blade, it is with them that he tears apart his prey. Plus, teeth are a wolf's defense against other predators. Speaking of wolves, it is necessary to mention their special voice. Unlike all animals, they can make different sounds:

• Grunt;
• Whistling;
• Squeal;
• whimper.

Hear the growl of the wolf

Habitat and lifestyle of the wolf

Wild wolves- formidable predators, whose habitat stretches over almost the entire Northern Hemisphere. Representatives of this species could be found in Belarus, Alaska and so on.

Wolves can live in completely different areas, but prefer forest-steppes, tundra, steppes, semi-deserts. They love and forest zones. The wolf will not like the increased humidity. They can easily settle close to people and approach them at close distances.

Wolves live in packs, in which there is always a leader. He chooses the best female for himself. In summer and spring, the flock breaks up, but all animals remain on their territory. The best place goes to the leader and his companion. The remaining members of the pack either pair up or begin to lead a wandering lifestyle. Wolves mark territory like dogs.

Usually one flock takes an average of 50 kilometers. At night, but not every day, the wolves start choral singing. The leader begins to howl, after which the rest join him. Thus, wolves show cohesion and belonging to the pack.

The life of wolves, like animals, can be attributed to the nocturnal. Very often, these predators make themselves felt, starting to howl loudly. When hunting, a wolf can reach speeds of up to 60 km / h and run about 70 kilometers.

Before they start hunting, wolves often begin to howl. Sometimes they thus warn their brethren about the upcoming hunt. The leader of the pack gives a battle cry - this is the beginning of their action.

Wolf character

Wolves, as a rule, do not have a hot temper. Friendly, of course, it is difficult to call them. Wolf Pack always defends together, in fact, as he hunts.

Males always protect females and young. If a female or wolf cub is attacked by a predator many times larger, not a single wolf will stand aside. He will rush to protect them, no matter what the cost. Takova the life of an animal - a wolf.

In relation to other predators, wolves are indifferent. Of course, they don't like animals that try to prey on their territory. But they don't just jump into a fight.

There are legends about wolves as about bloodthirsty animals, but in reality everything is not at all like that! Animal world wolves arranged so that they are diligent family men who hunt to feed themselves.

Nutrition and reproduction

What animal is the wolf? The wolf is a clear representative of carnivores. He resorts to vegetable food in extreme cases, when there is no food at all. An adult absorbs from 2 to 6 kilograms of meat at a time. These predators have a habit of saving food for later.

Even though the wolf is very voracious, he is able to for a long time starve. The main diet of wolves includes sheep,,.

In fact, these predators eat all the animals that they can get. The difference in feeding wolves directly depends on their habitat. Wolves are monogamous creatures, so their marriages usually last for many years. From two to three years, the animal is ready for breeding.

mating season occurs in January-April, depending on the habitat. At this time, the situation in the flock is heating up. The dominant male and female protect each other from the rest of the members.

The rest of the males begin to actively care for the she-wolves and fight for them. Usually, a female produces only one offspring per year. Pregnancy lasts about 65 days. There are from 3 to 13 puppies in a litter. During the feeding period, the female does not move far from her hole and guards it in every possible way. Dad - the wolf does not participate in this period in the life of the cubs.

After milk feeding, the whole flock makes sure that the cubs are fed. Any wolf shares his piece with the kids. Depending on the habitat, puppies may stay in the pack or leave to look for new territory.

Varieties of wolves

There are more than 35 subspecies, but only a few of them are worth noting, they are interesting for their lifestyle and behavior. These include:

• white wolf animal well-known, which differs from its counterparts in beauty. Usually hides from enemies. It has a docile and peaceful nature. He does not like to meet people and often sits in his hole. Being a hermit, he prefers to live in the tundra and the Arctic.
• The black wolf is an animal which looks like a sharp-eared dog. Because of its appearance, people often confuse it with pets. This subspecies lives in Alaska and in North America.
• Red wolf - animal, which outwardly may resemble a kutsuyu. Compared to its counterparts, it is small in size. Its weight is only about 21 kilograms. A feature of these predators is their habitat - mountains.
• Steppe wolf - animal small size, which, judging by the name of the species, lives in the steppes. Favorite places of residence are the lines of cliffs of river banks. They feed on hares, partridges. They live most often in fox holes.

Pictured is a white wolf

Keeping a wolf at home

It is almost impossible to make a pet out of a wolf. You need to be aware that the wolf is a predator that can consider human flesh as food. Taming can take a long time, but if it succeeds, the wolf will become best friend and a protector. He will always be a danger to you, family, guests.

If you have made the decision to get a wolf, then the first thing to do is to surround the wolf cub with love and care. You can't yell at him and, of course, hit him. The wolf is an animal of the forest Therefore, it is necessary for him to provide personal space. Actually, it's hard to imagine wolf as a pet.

It is advised to feed the wolf fresh meat and fish. Give the animal a lot of time and attention, the animal must feel your love. The wolf needs to be played with like a dog, trained.

Pictured is a red wolf

We must not forget that it is a predator and it is dangerous to humans. AT wild nature people often hunt these animals for their skins, although wolf hunting banned in many countries. Although most of these predators absolutely do not pose a danger to humans.

How does the wolf family live?

Wolves usually live big family th, connected by family ties, at the head of which is the parental mother couple. Spouses converge for life, unless one of them dies prematurely.

At the end of winter, strong young males choose a mate. Or vice versa, the female chooses the male, here the wolves have complete equality! Young spouses leave the pack to have children, and a mature couple, if she is getting old, allows them to settle near their lair, two kilometers away, thereby passing on their territory by inheritance. Usually between the lairs of relatives about 7 km.
A seasoned wolf often chooses a young female, but marriages between peers are not uncommon. Less often, a seasoned female who has lost her mate takes a young wolf as her husband, as a rule, this is her native son. A widowed father can choose a daughter. But brothers and sisters never marry.

There are also lone wolves in the pack, they play a very important role in a large family (biologists figured it out quite recently), helping their parents raise the growing wolf cubs.
Lonely "uncles" also help family brothers and sisters, but childless she-wolves will never agree to the role of "aunt". Mother and daughter often combine their broods and raise children together.
Wolf cubs are born in green spring, and for the first weeks the mother is inseparably in the den. Then she begins to leave the hole, and relatives bring her prey. Later, she herself prowls in search of food, and “uncles” and “cousins” come to nurse the kids: they play with the cubs, feed them, protect them.

The wolf-father also honestly fulfills his duty, he is always next to the offspring, unless he is busy hunting.
In the autumn, when the children grow up, the whole family hunts in a pack, in addition to the father and mother, it includes the profitable (wolf cubs not older than a year old) and over-flyers (young wolves 1–2 years old), who learn the rules of survival from the elders.

How do wolves raise children?

Wolf children, one might say, are very lucky!
Such patient and devoted parents are rare to find. “Two cubs tried to tear off the mother's tail, they tore and tore it with such fury that the hair flew in tatters. The other two did everything they could to leave the mother without an ear ... ”- this is how the Canadian naturalist Farley Mowat describes family idyll at the lair. Yes, wolves love their children, and at the same time they are very strict educators.

Severe beating for the slightest offense and, in addition, painful biting of the head is a common pedagogical technique: this is how the baby is indicated that he has crossed the boundaries of what is permitted. I must say, wolf cubs are well trained, including when communicating with each other. Quarrels between them are not uncommon, even cases of fratricide in the struggle for leadership are known. But parents almost do not interfere in such conflicts, following the principle natural selection: the strongest survives!
But where it is really needed, wolves show a lot of care and attention. For example, the father of the family will first of all feed the cubs, and only then he will eat himself. After a successful hunt, he swallows large pieces of meat, and then regurgitates them for the cubs half-digested.
If the children do not eat, the father will go hunting again without having rested and not being properly satisfied.
Wolves are smart, receptive, successfully adapt to different conditions existence, but it is not easy to tame a wolf cub. He is physically strong, handles pain well and will always fight for the lead. Only a balanced and consistent person can cope with it.

What are the wolves howling about?

Wolf songs begin in late June - early July and sound in the morning or evening dawn. This solemn and sad melody expresses the emotional unity of the pack.
In the life of a wolf, howling can play a fatal role. It would seem that such cautious and intelligent animals ...
However, someone will respond to the waba (imitation of the howl) of the hunter - and the location of the lair is revealed. Only an experienced female will not succumb to provocation and will run several kilometers to find the source of the sound.
AT Everyday life wolves use a different “language”: growling, grumbling, howling, whimpering, yapping, barking, squealing, sharp screeching. Squealing, the wolf calls the cubs to him, yapping - expresses impatience. If he wants to tell the audience how pleased he is to see them all, he will, in the words of Lois Chrysler, "look directly into the eyes and long, selflessly tongue-tied mutter and squeal almost on the same note."

Wolf "language" is very expressive. Howling, wolves cheer each other up, triumph after a successful hunt, give a sign to lagging comrades and threaten strangers. Waiting for a seasoned she-wolf before hunting, they growl and yelp; calling the cubs, they squeal; driving game, bark.

Howling has a special meaning in the life of wolves. For example, they "sing" before hunting, tuning in to a common mood. However, when hunting, wolves rarely give a voice. The French naturalist Remy Chauvin distinguishes only three types of hunting signals: “... a rather quiet and drawn-out howl is a simple signal to collect; the howl of a higher timbre, on two notes, - one must not hesitate to follow in hot pursuit; jerky barking, accompanied by a howl, is already hooting, which means game is in sight.
In a word, howling allows wolves to communicate at a distance and coordinate their actions on the hunt.
The ability to “work in a team” also develops in games, without which wolves simply cannot live and often arrange games that close and distant relatives converge on. Cheerful amusements are started in glades, wide roads, harvested fields, etc. Having played up, the animals jump to their heart's content: both upwards with a “candle”, and through each other in leapfrog. They play cat-and-mouse and catch-up.
At the games, the rules of conduct are strictly observed. When meeting with a hardened young one, he should crouch to the ground and put his neck under his teeth as a sign of obedience. Violently expressing feelings is not accepted. Those who are higher in the family hierarchy shake and bite the scruff of the younger members of the family.
Wolf language is quite rich and unusually expressive. A sign of a special location - a front paw set aside. A wide yawn is a sign of a great mood.
Scraping the ground with their hind legs, they express contempt.
Not only that, wolves also know how to smile! Their smiles are gentle, cheerful, cunning, shy…