We should already agree on what a whisper is. “According to the most common definition, these are signals that are less intense than those normally emitted by the animal in question. They are often used ‘in the context of ‘private’ communication.” asks Nicolas Mathifon, a professor at Jean Monnet Saint-Etienne University, an expert on animal language and behaviour. In many animal species, scientists have noticed occasional changes in the way they communicate. “In birds, there are many examples of low-intensity vocalizations, which can be interpreted as whispering, researcher reveals.

Mainly in the context of communication between spouses, or between parents and young people. “

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protect the little ones

This type of whispering is also observed in many species of whales. In a 2019 study, US researchers recorded low-amplitude sounds in North Atlantic humpback and right whales, coming from mothers caring for their babies.

This would be a separate behavior that has been adopted to avoid locating predators. Finally, whispering isn’t the only mechanism used to speak surreptitiously!

“The mouse communicates through ultrasound at frequencies not seen by many predators,” Nicola Mathivon describes it.