Summary
Scientists recently discovered how horses make their distinctive whinny sounds. The high-pitched part of a whinny is created by a kind of whistle that takes place in the horse's voice box.
Key Facts
- Horses make a sound called a whinny, which is a combination of high and low-pitched noises.
- The low-pitched sound is created by air passing over tissues in the voice box, similar to human speech.
- Researchers found the high-pitched part is actually a whistle from inside the horse's voice box.
- A study showed that air vibrates tissues in the voice box, and a small opening lets the whistle escape.
- Horses are the first large mammals known to whistle like this.
- The study was published in the journal Current Biology.
- Scientists think horses use these sounds to express a range of emotions.
- Other animals, like donkeys and zebras, cannot make these high-pitched sounds.
