The Hidden Sounds of Nature | What Animals Perceive

Researchers are increasingly focused on deciphering the complex communication methods of animals, moving beyond observable behaviors to explore the potential for ultrasonic signals. Even as tracking wildlife by their visible signs – beaver activity, deer trails, owl nests – has long been a practice, scientists are now investigating whether animals are communicating in ways humans haven’t previously detected.

Recent work suggests that animals may be using a far wider range of communication than previously understood. This pursuit of understanding animal communication is driven by the potential to improve conservation efforts and mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Oxford University biologist Sophie Rasmussen recently told the BBC that she may have found a way to access the brain activity of hedgehogs, revealing they may communicate using ultrasonic sound, in addition to snorts, and grunts.

Rasmussen’s research discovered that hedgehogs can hear up to 85,000 hertz, even exceeding the range of the European pipistrelle bat. “Imagine hedgehogs are chatting all the time without us hearing it,” she stated. Understanding this “hedgehog language” could potentially protect them from traffic and lawnmowers, she added, opening a window into their “audioworld.”

The quest to understand animal communication echoes earlier philosophical inquiries into the nature of consciousness. In 1974, Thomas Nagel explored this concept in “What Is It Like to Be a Bat”, questioning how humans can truly comprehend the subjective experience of another species. Nagel argued that understanding what it *is* to be a bat requires a perspective fundamentally inaccessible to humans.

This exploration of hidden communication extends beyond mammals. Researchers are also examining the “knocking signals” of insects like caterpillars and termites, as well as infrasound produced by glaciers and ocean currents, which can travel thousands of miles. The world is filled with sounds beyond human perception, a reality highlighted by Brian House, a sound artist and professor, in The Washington Post. “Imagine your sense of what ‘nearby’ means expanding enormously,” he said.

The research builds on a historical understanding of natural resources and their use. Areas once managed as production forests – where willow branches were harvested for basket weaving and erosion control – are now being re-evaluated for their ecological value. These areas, often located near the sea and regularly flooded by tides, are increasingly managed by volunteers and conservationists.

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