Have you ever pondered what it means when hippos "wheeze honk"? Scientists now think they have the answer!
Hippos have been studied by a group of scientists at an African wildlife reserve. Their distinctive loud honks, they claim, allow them to distinguish between friends and foes even while crossing lakes and rivers over vast distances. Hippos, they say, can undoubtedly recognize individuals based on their "voices."
Even though hippos have a large vocal repertoire, including grunts, bellows, squeals, and "wheeze honks," according to study leader Professor Nicolas Mathevon of the University of Saint-Etienne in France, their social communication is still unknown.
"There is information about the individual's identity in each call, so they have "voices," and they can know each other by their sounds," he stated, "and they can recognize each other by their voices." Individuals' social ties are aided by this ability to recognize one another.
Photos by: Nicolas Mathevon