Ultrasonic Calls and Communications in Rodents

The first report of high frequency calls from rodents came in 191.8 (Schleidt, 1948), and was followed in 1956 by the now classic paper of Zippelius and Schleidt describing ultrasonic calling by the young of three species of rodents.The study of rodent ultrasound then appears to have lain dormant until about 1963 when Noirot suggested that the findings of Zippelius and Schleidt could account for many of her observations on maternal behaviour in non-lactating laboratory mice, _Mu_s musculus (see Noirot, 1972).Hoirot's subsequent studies on ultrasound in rodents marked the beginning of a rapid expansion of interest in the subject and it is now knoun that many species of rodent emit such calls and in a variety of situations.The year 1984 then represents approximately 21 years since the early studies of Hoirot and it would appear to be a good time to