Guinea pigs have a good sense of hearing, and they can even identify the sound waves in the ultrasonic range. Guinea pigs can discover the noises of up to 50,000Hz, which human beings are not even close to. But how well do guinea pigs hear in reality? Let’s find out!
On average, the hearing range of a guinea pig is between 54Hz-50,000Hz. However, they can detect these sounds from up to 2 miles away. Guinea pigs can also twirl both of the ears to catch the sounds from particular directions. A good sense of hearing is crucial for them to detect threats like predators.
The structure of human ears is the same as that of guinea pigs except for their outer ear part. In guinea pigs, the outer ear works as a baseball glove for the sound waves, channeling them into the middle ear.
These sound waves vibrate the middle ear’s eardrum, which is analyzed by the delicate bones between the inner and middle ear.
Inside the inner ear, these vibrations are converted by the basilar membrane into the nerves’ signals, which is then translated into the sound by the brain.
You might have a lot of questions in your mind. So, without further delay let’s get right into it.
Do guinea pigs have good hearing?
Guinea pigs are categorized as prey animals. Like many other advantages of evolution, guinea pigs gradually develop their hearing under the anxiety, which is applied by the predators.
Guinea pigs spend their entire life by listening to the minor sounds in the wilderness. These small sounds are the initial sign of danger, which includes the threats or predators are around them.
The domestic guinea pig should not have to be worried about this. But still, your guinea pig will depend on hearing to detect the sounds in the world and interact with the owner.
By the hearing, guinea pigs will get to know where the owner is in the house and who is the owner or family member. Also, your guinea pig can detect minor threats, for example, if other creatures are around the house or something falls from the table.
Guinea pigs have a good sense of hearing because of their external and internal ears structure. Also, it is due to their sensitive sensory organs. They have an incredible sense of hearing of the world around them along with an extensive range of hearing.
Also read: Do guinea pigs like to watch TV?
Guinea pig hearing frequency range
According to studies, Guinea pigs can hear the sounds as low as 54Hz. That places the hearing range of guinea pigs at 54Hz-50,000Hz. From this point of view, the range of hearing in human beings is 20Hz-20,000Hz.
Human beings can listen to those frequencies that are lower, but guinea pigs are susceptible to those frequencies that are higher and can hear the vast range of sounds compared to human beings.
Guinea pigs are not able to hear all the sounds clearly with this range of hearing. The normal guinea pig can clearly listen to the sounds between 1,000Hz-18,000Hz; anything out of this range can be heard by them but not with appropriate clarity.
Can guinea pigs hear better than humans
Guinea pigs can hear higher frequencies as compared to human beings. However, the hearing range of guinea pigs can discover a broader range of frequencies, and they can listen to the higher frequencies.
At the same time, guinea pigs will not enjoy the same music as we do. But practically, guinea pigs have a better sense of hearing as compared to human beings.
Also, the structure of the outer ear of guinea pigs gives them an advantage over human beings.
The ears of human beings are set, almost flat to their skulls, and the outer shell of them is quite small compared to the ears of guinea pigs.
The ear structure of a guinea pig is also very much important. The ear structure allows the guinea pigs to detect more sound waves and instruct them to the guinea pig’s eardrum.
In guinea pigs, the internal structure of ears is more delicate, allowing them to hear those frequencies higher in range than human beings.
Can guinea pigs hear better than dogs
The sound ranges of dogs and guinea pigs are very much similar. An average dog can hear the range between 67Hz-45,000Hz. But, the sensitivity of hearing does differ between the breeds of dogs.
The dogs can hear the sound waves which are lower in range, but the guinea pigs can listen to the higher sound waves. Thus, depending on the end of the sound spectrum, you will look at a guinea pig that can also have a worse or better hearing than dogs.
Also, guinea pigs can hear those sounds which are miles away as compared to dogs. An average dog can detect the sounds from ¼ mile away, which is less than that of the ordinary guinea pig.
How far can guinea pigs hear?
Guinea pigs can hear those sounds that can arise up to 2 miles away. The radius can be changed depending on the pitch or strength of the sound.
The low frequencies travel at a great distance as compared to the high frequencies. So, guinea pigs can hear more of it.
Can guinea pigs hear ultrasonic?
Ultrasonic are those frequencies that are above 20,000Hz, which is generously the hearing range of guinea pigs.
If you are using the ultrasonic rodent repellents, then you need to remember that our guinea pigs can get affected by the same. Most of the repellent devices make the sounds between 30,000Hz-62,000Hz.
These devices discharge the sounds that can distress the guinea pigs, uniquely when the ultrasonic rodent repellent device is placed near the area where guinea pig lives.
Excessive exposure to such a sound that is high in pitch can cause pain, or even it can harm the inner ear permanently.
Also read: Why is loud noise bad for our guinea pigs?
Anatomy of guinea pig’s ear
One of the defining features in guinea pigs is their ears. The tall ears of guinea pigs are developed for channeling and catching the sounds towards the internal ear.
These ears are essential for the survival of guinea pigs as they are prey animals discovered at the bottom of the food chain.
Outer ear
The big, large scoop includes the outer ear (the pinna), which works as a funnel and a net. It grabs the sound waves and then funnels them into the ear of the middle ear and the inner ear.
Guinea pigs can swivel their ears around 270-degrees to catch and detect the sounds that come from all the directions.
Just like chameleons, guinea pigs can independently move each of their ears in different directions. Thus, a guinea pig can identify the direction a sound is reaching very correctly.
Middle & Inner ear
The external auditory canal transmits the caught sound waves to the eardrum of the middle ear.
The sound waves hit the membrane of the eardrum. This process generates vibrations in the eardrum, captured by the delicate bones of the middle ear, and transferred into the inner ear.
The middle ear is filled with the air cavity, which stops the sound waves from being moistened and missed in the inner ear’s liquid.
The stapes, which is the middle ear third bone, are connected to the cochlea of the inner ear, shaped in a spiral, and filled with the fluid.
The basilar membrane is run close to the side of the cochlea. The basilar membrane vibrates in various places, depending on the sound wave frequency, in response to the vibrations, the small hairs attached to the layer can lead to the end of the nerve.
These transmit the signals to those parts of the brain that are auditory processing, which translates these signals as a sound.
The middle ear captures the vibrations that are translated by the inner ear from the outer ear that caught the sound waves. And then these turned into electrical signals and carried to the brain of guinea pig. That is the process of hearing in guinea pigs.
Can guinea pigs hear you?
Guinea pigs can definitely hear whatever you say. They have a wide range of hearing ability.
Human beings voice ranges from 85Hz to 265Hz, which is well under their listening capacity. Studies have also found that they can understand your words and expression.
Is my guinea pig deaf?
The owners can take action if they know the symptoms of guinea pig deafness. You can stop your guinea pig from going to deaf if you can detect the cause in an early stage.
If guinea pigs lose their sense of hearing, they will not react to the sound they usually do before. The ears of guinea pigs will not be able to twirl towards the sound or will not be able to respond when their name is called out.
If the owner has more than one guinea pig, then the other guinea pig can mimic the deaf guinea pig to respond to the noise.
Expecting on how much sense of hearing your guinea pig has lost, they can listen to only specific frequencies. You can deliver some sound tests for your guinea pig by playing short clips of the music of different frequencies.
Also, your deaf guinea pig can respond to you differently from before; they can turn aggressive and stressed out.
Guinea pigs are those creatures that depend so heavily on their hearing, so deafness can be a difficult change in their life. However, a guinea pig can adjust to their new life without hearing.
Conclusion
The Guinea pigs have a perfect sense of hearing, as it is a defining feature in them. The range of hearing is between 54Hz-50,000Hz in guinea pigs, which can be detected from 2 miles away.
Except for the outer ear part, the ear structure of human beings and guinea pigs are the same.
Guinea pigs are prey animals. The entire life of wild guinea pigs spends on listening to these minor sounds. However, domestic guinea pigs will not take the stress regarding this.
But still, they will depend on the sense of hearing to discover the sounds from all the directions and connect with you.
The hearing of sound in guinea pigs is as low as 54Hz. Humans can listen to the low frequencies, as they have the range of hearing at 20Hz-20,000Hz, whereas guinea pigs can hear the high frequencies because the outer ear structure provides them with an advantage.
Repellent devices have a sound range between 30,000Hz-62,000Hz, which can distress your guinea pig.
The tall ears of guinea pigs are essential for their survival because guinea pigs are prey, animals, and tall ears can detect the sounds of predators and threats.
If your guinea pig is deaf, then another guinea pig can help them discover the sound by mimicry, or else you can also conduct the tests of sound by playing clips of different frequencies.
However, it is very hard for deaf guinea pigs who are mostly dependent on their hearing. But they can have that much ability to adjust in their new life without hearing.