Page 71 - One Million Things: Animal Life - The Incredible Visual Guide

DOLPHIN
Although dolphins have BARN OWL
Bulge contains excellent eyesight, these This nocturnal hunter uses its acute
fat-filled melon marine mammals also use sense of hearing to detect rustling
echolocation to find food. They
produce bursts of high-pitched sounds made by potential prey. A ruff
clicks that are beamed in front of feathers channels sounds into the
of the dolphin, focused by a to pinpoint prey accurately.
ear openings, which are asymmetrical
lump of fatty tissue called the
melon. Sounds bounce off
objects and their echoes are
channeled via the lower jaw to
the ears. The dolphin can then
analyze the echoes to
pinpoint prey.

Right ear opening is
higher than the left one

Eardrum is just
behind the eye BULLFROG
Hearing is a very important
sense in amphibians. It
enables them to identify and
pinpoint calls made by
mates and potential rivals,
and to detect predators.
Bullfrogs have no external
ears but pick up sounds
through large eardrums
on the sides of the head.

KANGAROO RAT
As it hops across American
deserts at night, a kangaroo
rat listens for danger.
Its ears can amplify (make
louder) sounds by 100 times,
so it can detect a rustling
rattlesnake, its main
predator.

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