All Animals Sound the Same

Researchers compared the calls of 500 different animals - insects, mammals, reptiles, fish - you name it. They found that the basic features of every animal’s cry (e.g. frequency, duration) depend on the animal’s metabolism, which depends on the animal’s size and body temperature.

When the calls account for body size and temperature, a whale sounds a lot like a frog and vice versa. Researchers think a metabolic link exists, because energy use affects the nerves and muscles animals use to make noise.