Sometimes before we fall asleep, it makes us happy to think of all the wonderful things right under our noses that humans are just now discovering. Like mice roaring to their lovers and giraffes humming into the darkness. All kinds of “silent” animals turn out to be making a racket—we just didn’t know about it until recently. While they’re probably not going to form a new rock band any time soon, we think it’d be pretty killer if some of our favorite secret singers teamed up.
Strumming the bass: giraffes
Thought since forever to be silent giants, in 2015 researchers recorded giraffes humming tunes at night. They’re not sure yet why they hum, but it sounds like happy Tibetan monks wandering a country road.
Keeping the beat: baby fish
Grey snapper larvae pop and growl at each other in their little fishy nests. Those who watch them don’t think they’re mad; instead they might be checking in on each other in the dark when they can’t see.
At the mic: mice
Male Peromyscus sp. are more of the John Lenonesque crooners of the mouse world, while females play the Yoko, barking and roaring to their loves. All this mousy singing takes place in ultrasound, just outside our human hearing.
Adding whimsy: turtles
South American river turtles (Podocnemis expansa) would play the kazoo in our band because, to be polite, their vocalizations sound a bit like tooting. These turtles have a lot to say to each other, but our favorite is the mothers and babies urging and fussing each other along.
Written by Roar. Illustrated by Maggie Chiang.
Born to a Taiwanese family in the City of Angels, Maggie Chiang is a full-time artist and part-time dreamer. Inspired by places real and fictitious, Maggie’s illustrations evoke a longing for adventure and the pursuit of the unknown, exploring impossible landscapes and places unseen. A central theme of her art is the relationship between humanity and nature, oftentimes the underlying thread that ties together her work and establishes her individual artistic voice. Her work can be seen on her website, Instagram, and Tumblr.
I love the idea of giraffes humming to themselves at night. My little sister hums to herself when she’s eating something she likes, so I imagine the giraffes contentedly humming to themselves as they snuggle in for the evening.