10.5061/DRYAD.S44GK
Murrant, Meghan N.
Trent University
Bowman, Jeff
Ministry of Natural Resources
Garroway, Colin J.
Trent University
Prinzen, Brian
McMaster University
Mayberry, Heather
McMaster University
Faure, Paul A.
McMaster University
Data from: Ultrasonic vocalizations emitted by flying squirrels
Dryad
dataset
2013
Glaucomys sabrinus
Glaucomys volans
flying squirrel
Vocalizations
Holocene
Ultrasound
2013-08-30T20:05:19Z
2013-08-30T20:05:19Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073045
428515 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Anecdotal reports of ultrasound use by flying squirrels have existed for
decades, yet there has been little detailed analysis of their
vocalizations. Here we demonstrate that two species of flying squirrel
emit ultrasonic vocalizations. We recorded vocalizations from northern
(Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern (G. volans) flying squirrels calling in
both the laboratory and at a field site in central Ontario, Canada. We
demonstrate that flying squirrels produce ultrasonic emissions through
recorded bursts of broadband noise and time-frequency structured frequency
modulated (FM) vocalizations, some of which were purely ultrasonic.
Squirrels emitted three types of ultrasonic calls in laboratory recordings
and one type in the field. The variety of signals that were recorded
suggest that flying squirrels may use ultrasonic vocalizations to transfer
information. Thus, vocalizations may be an important, although still
poorly understood, aspect of flying squirrel social biology.
Characteristic flying squirrel vocalizationsA set of 4 different high
frequency vocalizations made by southern flying squirrels, stored in a zip
archive as wav files. Type 1 vocalizations are broadband bursts; Type 2
vocalizations are frequency modulated, varying from about 27 to about 19
kHz, and contain higher frequency harmonics; Type 3 vocalizations are pure
ultrasound exceeding 50 kHz; and Type 4 vocalizations are frequency
modulated between about 51 kHz and 28 kHz. Types 1-3 were recorded from
captive squirrels in a sound lab at McMaster University, and Type 4 was
recorded in the field at Trent University's Oliver Research Centre
near Bobcaygeon, Ontario.Calls.zip
Canada
Ontario