Mice Love to Sing – and Sing to Love
It’s their favorite way to impress the ladies
When a mouse is looking for love, he sings – just as birds, whales and humans do.
We’ve known for a long time that mice can vocalize. But without special equipment, humans can’t hear much of it because it’s mostly in the ultrasonic range.
But now researchers have demonstrated that the mice are actually singing, and with a complex series of chirps and whistles that are very similar to the songs of birds and are designed to impress their lady friends.
Do they all sing the same kind of song? Not at all. The study shows that they inherit much of what they sing from their parents, and the song is passed down from generation to generation.
It’s delightful to know that small animals are capable of great singing. But we’d also note that this latest information comes from experiments in laboratories in Japan. We’ve already learned that whether it be mice, monkeys or men, most species share a love of pleasure and happiness – to live and to love and to communicate with each other. And now that we’ve proved that they lead a rich life of song and socializing, maybe it’s time to stop the kinds of experiments that deprive them of that life.