Behavioral and physiological audiometric methods for animals

Abstract

An important component of bioacoustical research is the description and quantification of the hearing capabilities of different animal species. This chapter reviews common behavioral and physiological methods used to examine the hearing of live animals and discusses some of their strengths and weaknesses. The focus is on audiometric studies that identify the frequency range and sensitivity of hearing, with examples provided from several different species. The methods discussed also are useful for quantifying other aspects of auditory perception such as sound frequency or intensity discrimination, sound localization, and the effects of noise on hearing.