In the animal world, when the time is right and the females are ready to reproduce, the male counterparts get the message and start their courtship rituals. Depending on species and environment, some show off their dancing techniques, their strength or some impressive body part.
Mice seem to be a little more romantic, they “sing” to their potential partner while chasing them. From a human point of view, it may look more like two squeaking rodents chasing each other, because we can only hear frequencies of about 20 kilohertz whereas the voice of a mouse registers at about 35-125 kilohertz.
Researchers at the University of Delaware decided to take a closer look. Using special hardware, they found out that the female mouse will sing back if she wants sex, slowing her pace and letting the male of her choice catch up with her.
Knowing when and how a mouse says yes to sex wasn’t the main aim of these observations. Understanding how mice communicate and behave can help understand the brain mechanics involved, giving researchers, a possibly, better insight into how the human brain works.
