Singing, Free-Ranging Native Deer Mice
In a very recent scientific paper (Front Zool. 2006 Feb 28;3(1):3) Hastings researcher Matina Kalcounis-Ruppell (along with JD Metheny and MJ Vonhof MJ) describes observations she made in December of 2005 with an array of ultasonic detectors. Usually used to detect the high-frequency calls made by bats, Matina aimed this array of audio recorders along the ground in an array that covered the home ranges of several resident deer mice. Some very interesting, long complex songs were recorded. For an example, click HERE for a 4-whistle song. This is a short "song" sample of only about 450k so you don't need a high-speed connection. Many songs are much longer, moe complex, and melodic. Matina has ruled out all by Peromyscus californicus (photo) or the brush mouse, P. boylii. Matina concludes, "The discovery of the production of ultrasonic vocalizations by Peromyscus in the wild highlights an underappreciated component of the behavior of these model organisms. The ability to examine the production of ultrasonic vocalizations in the wild offers excellent opportunities to test hypotheses regarding the function of ultrasound produced by rodents in a natural context."