Audiogram of the fox squirrel (Sciurus niger)
Jackson LL, Heffner HE, Heffner RS
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY 111: (1) 100-104 MAR 1997
Abstract:
The behavioral audiograms of 2 fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) were determined
with a conditioned avoidance procedure. The squirrels were able to hear
tones ranging from 113 Hz to 49 kHz at a level of 60 dB sound-pressure
level or less, with their best sensitivity of 1 dB occurring at 8 kHz.
Their ability to hear frequencies below 150 Hz indicates that they have
good low-frequency hearing, as do the 2 other members of the squirrel family
(black-tailed and white-tailed prairie dogs) for which audiograms are available.
This suggests that the ancestral sciurid may also have had good low-frequency
hearing.