Munch on some animal screams
CRITTERS WITH THE SCARIEST SHRIEKS
1 OWLS are known for their soothing twit-twoo call – but not the barn breed. A harsh, ear-piercing scream instead emanates from them. Males do it more often than females, whose screech is slightly softer, usually to catch the attention of their mate to come and see their nest building.
2 Most people who live in urban areas where foxes roam about binraiding can recall a night of being woken up at the sound of them screaming, fearing a child was being murdered. The blood-curdling racket females unleash during the act of mating is arguably worse than the males, who scream to mark territory and warn off rivals for their lover’s affection.
3 The largest big cat species outside of zoos in the US, cougars’ high-pitched scream is thanks to a bone under the tongue called the solid hyoid, which attaches to the windpipe and larynx and is only present in females. Former US president Theodore Roosevelt said: “No man could well listen to a stranger and wilder sound.”
4 Tiny balls of prickles yet mighty when it comes to hollering – the scream of a hedgehog has been compared to a human baby and likely to be heard when one is in pain or distressed.
5 Mature elk bulls will let rip a scream, known as a bugle, to warn rivals they are leaders of a herd and the area they’re on “belongs” to them. The sound signals autumn on the west coast of America and is heard from dusk till dawn.
6 Chomping on a carcass with some pals is often a time Tasmanian devils will unleash screams of horrormovie level scariness, letting any others around get the message they’re not invited to share.
7 As their name suggests, the screaming hairy armadillo is erm, hairy – and loves to scream to signal to others to stay away because they are solitary creatures. If they feel threatened, their scream alarm will kick off.
8 Not far off a Dementor from Harry Potter coming to suck out your soul, or something possessed in a horror movie, the eerie screams of possums signal danger and can come from their mouths when they’re fighting with others or sense predators in the vicinity.
9 An extremely frightened marmot can make a scream which mirrors that of a human if it is feeling particularly petrified.
10 Female American bullfrogs scream like a deflating balloon and males have a go when attracting a mate, getting the attention of another male or when staking out territory.