While out watching bats by a lake in Gloucestershire last night, I picked up some loud squealing calls on the detector, peaking at about 30kHz. Nothing audible in the normal hearing range, though.They sounded like a pig squealing, or a rabbit in distress. Both wild boar and rabbits are common in the area, but I'm not aware either can generate ultrasound. In any case, I think the culprit was hiding in a bramble patch, and the lack of any loud rustling suggests a much smaller animal. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have seen yellow-necked mice here, and shrews and voles are also present in the area, but I have never heard vocalisations like this, despite many bat surveys at this spot.
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Ultrasonic calls (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter meles
- Start date
Farnboro John
Well-known member
You've ruled out horseshoe bat spp of course?
John
John
MarkHows
Mostly Mammals
Yes, I'd just finished a lesser horseshoe colony count when I went on to the lake. This was far too low frequency for either UK species, and sounded quite different. It wasn't a bat, or cricket, and wasn't a man-made sound. I'm pretty certain it would be some rodent, but I don't know the frequencies each species uses, so can't narrow it down.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Harmonics
MarkHows
Mostly Mammals
Harmonics are higher than the original frequency, echo’s could be lower frequency than the original.
Mark
Farnboro John
Well-known member
MarkHows
Mostly Mammals
Must revise my physics.....
John
Guess it was a long time since you revised school subjects
Mark
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Guess it was a long time since you revised school subjects
Mark
All I can remember these days is how to use apostrophes
John
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