BUILT-IN BAGPIPES
CALAKMUL BIOSPHERE RESERVE, MEXICO
This painted tree frog produces a piercing screech that differs slightly in pitch to closely related species. To maintain the call for as long as possible, it squeezes the same breath of air back and forth across the larynx, creating trilling sound. This is just one of thousands of different kinds of frog calls, each unique to its own given species. “Vocal sacs differ enormously across frogs," says herpetologist Dr Mark Scherz of the Natural History Museum of Denmark. “Some species have single sacs, some have paired sacs, some sacs even expand substantially down the body or expand hugely in front of the head.”
Even female frogs have taken to inflation. Last year, scientists in Minnesota discovered that female green tree frogs inflate their lungs to cancel out the calls of rival species. The exact mechanism that causes this noise-cancelling effect is yet to be fully understood, but it is likely to help females locate males when multiple species congregate together at breeding ponds.
HELLO, CHUBBY CHEEKS
SOUTH DAKOTA, USA
In birds, the voice box (called the syrinx) is double-barrelled. Some species, such as the greater sage grouse, also have a pair of vocal sacs, kept within a flexible throat pouch. As soundwaves escape from the syrinx they resonate against the elastic membrane of each sac which, as it inflates, is pulled taut like the skin of a drum. The throat pouch can also be brushed against the feathers on the wings to make a dramatic whooshing sound.
The resulting courtship noises are what evolutionary ecologist Prof Gail Patricelli calls a "swish, swish, coo, pop, whistle, pop," performed while the male struts in front of potential mates.
This story is from the April 2022 edition of BBC Science Focus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2022 edition of BBC Science Focus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
5 SIMPLE WAYS TO RECLAIM YOUR ATTENTION
Primed for constant interruptions, your brain is now distracting itself, says science. It's time to break the cycle and retrain your focus
GOING ROGUE
Some planets are stuck following the same orbital paths their entire lives. Others break free to wander alone through the vast, empty darkness of interstellar space and there's a lot more of them than you might think
BED BUGS VS THE WORLD
When bloodthirsty bed bugs made headlines for infesting Paris Fashion Week in 2023, it shone a spotlight on a problem that's been making experts itch for decades: the arms race going on between bed bugs and humans. Now, with the 2024 Summer Olympics fast approaching, the stakes are higher than ever
THE EYES THAT WATCH THE SKY
When it launches in 2026, the Copernicus programme's Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring satellite will give us a new window on to Earth's atmosphere... And how we're altering it
TIME-RESTRICTED EATING LINKED TO HIGHER RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEATH
Skipping breakfast might not be so good for your health, after all
INSIDE THE PROJECT TO SCAN THOUSANDS OF RARE SPECIMENS
A major collaborative project has created 3D reconstructions of previously locked away museum specimens
VIDEO IS FIRST EVIDENCE OF AN ORCA KILLING A GREAT WHITE
Tourists sailing off the South African coast film a never-before-seen event: a lone orca attacking a 2.5m shark
AI REVEALS PROSTATE CANCER IS NOT JUST ONE DISEASE
DNA analysis carried out by artificial intelligence has helped scientists make a discovery that could revolutionise future treatment
MYSTERIOUS WAVES DETECTED IN JUPITER'S CORE
Scientists hope unusual fluctuations in the gas giant's magnetic field might reveal what's inside
MINI ORGANS GROWN FROM UNBORN BABIES MARK A BREAKTHROUGH IN PRENATAL MEDICINE
A new technique could allow congenital conditions to be diagnosed and treated before birth