Top 10 Loudest Animals
If you’re under the impression that some people speak too loudly, wait until you read about some of the Loudest Animal In The World. A normal human scream is about 70 decibels. Anything above 120 decibels becomes physically painful. Many animals, birds, and insects on this earth can make sounds much louder than this. Sometimes animals use sounds as communication, while animals use them to intimidate their rivals. Whatever the reason, these animals top the list when it comes to making a racket.
1. Whales: 230db
King whales of the sea are famous for their songs. The largest animal on earth is the blue whale, the whale whistles loudly with a volume of up to 188 dB. Blue whale sounds can travel up to 500 miles underwater. But the loudest sound is that of the sperm whale. It makes a series of clicking sounds that can reach 230 dB, making it the loudest animal in the world. Lasts 15 to 30 milliseconds and can be heard by sperm whales 10 miles away.
2. Bulldog Bat: 140db
Bats use their sound to navigate, a process called echolocation. Bulldog bats produce the loudest vocalizations among bats. Their vocalizations can reach up to 140 dB. They use echolocation to track the movement of fish in the water and are therefore also known as fishing bats. Their sound is not audible to humans as it is in the ultrasonic range which ranges from 20 KHz to 200 KHz.
3. Tiger Pistol Shrimp: 200db
A unique species of crab named Tiger Pistol is an interesting animal. Found in the Mediterranean Sea, they have a claw that shoots water jets at very high speeds. The velocity is so high that it creates an air bubble. When the bubble bursts, it creates a shock wave that kills any fish within a 2-meter range. It also produces a sound of about 200 dB, which is louder than a gunshot. The bursting of the bubble also creates a sun-like temperature at its core, causing a flash of light every time the crab fires its pistol.
4. Howler Monkeys: 128db
As the name suggests howler monkeys howl. Howler monkeys are social animals that live in large groups and use a variety of sounds to communicate with each other. They are also known as the loudest animals on earth as their screams can reach up to 128 dB and cover an area of 3 miles. They make these guttural and high-pitched sounds with the help of an enlarged hyoid bone.
5. Green Grocer Cicada: 135db
Cicadas are among the loudest insects. Cicadas make different sounds to attract insect mates and their noise can reach more than 135 dB and can travel more than a mile. They produce sound with a musical drum in their abdomen called tumbles. A hollow stomach helps to amplify the sound produced by contracting the internal muscles. They form groups together during their mating song to confuse birds and other predators.
6. Kakapo: 132db
Cockapoos are among the loudest birds in the parrot family. Their calls can reach up to 132 dB. Their voices can travel up to 4 miles. The rising sound is made by using the air sacs of the chest. They also make high-pitched metallic calls. They are flightless, nocturnal animals and the heaviest parrots weigh 2-4 kg at maturity. The average lifespan of these animals is 90 years.
7. Lion: 110db
When a lion roars, its sound reaches 110 dB. A lion’s roar can travel up to 5 miles. They use their roaring voice to establish their terror and rule in their territory and to intimidate rival tigers. Research shows that they sometimes roar to communicate within their pride. A lion’s home range can be up to 160 square miles, so roaring helps maintain that territory without covering the entire distance.
8. Hyena: 112db
Hyenas are small animals. Hyenas are also known to kill tigers. Their strength lies in their numbers and persistence. When threatened, they can hiss and make black calls while hunting that can be as loud as 112 dB. Hunting in packs requires a lot of communication and hyenas have a decent vocabulary of sounds.
9. Grey Wolf: 115db
The gray wolf is one of the most famous animals known for its high-pitched howl. Wolves are pack animals and howl to communicate within the pack. Wolf howls can range from 90 db to 115 db and can cover an extraordinary area of up to 50 square miles under certain conditions. They shout to gather the pack, establish territory, or communicate with each other.
10. Elephant: 117db
Elephants are among the most intelligent animals. Elephants use many sounds to communicate. The most famous is the trumpet sound they make when excited, upset, or angry. They are also known to produce very fast infrasonic sounds that can travel up to 10 miles. The frequency of these rumbling sounds is below the range of human hearing, but their loudness is around 117 dB.
