Table of Contents (click to expand) Vox BoxThe RoarWhy Do Lions Roar?
Leo’s roar is so loud that his vocal folds form a square shape.
A lion’s roar is one of the most terrifying sounds in the animal kingdom.
If you’re in the African savannah and you happen to hear that sound, you might want to start running!
Lions, as you already know, are not the only animals that can roar.
This menacing feat can be done by three other animals, tigers, panthers and jaguars.
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Voice Box Science behind those majestic roars all comes down to one organ: the larynx (voice box).
The vocal folds (vocal cords) of the larynx are different in lions and tigers than in other animals (even cheetahs cannot make noise, as they are a separate species).
In general, the voice of any animal (including humans) is produced from the air (from the lungs) passing through the vocal folds.
Then the vocal folds were rolled up, thus the “scac” flow.
Because of this air output is agitated, audible pulses are produced.
The exact nature and solidity of the sound depends on the air pressure in the lungs (that is, the air pressure of our voices) and in the laryngeal muscles, which control the length and tension of the vocal folds.
(Photo Credit: Muros / Shutterstock) Also Read: Why Does Your Voice Change When You Cry? Roar The difference between vocal panther cats and other animals is in their shape.
While our vocal folds form a triangular shape in our throats, the vocal folds of both lions and tigers form a square shape.
This is due to big cats having some fat deposits located deep within the double vocal cord.
Due to this deposit of fat, the vocal folds take on a flattened square shape.
This shape essentially stabilizes the vocal cords so that they respond better to passing air.
This shape essentially stabilizes the vocal cords so that they respond better to passing air.
This way lions can produce loud roars without putting too much pressure on their lungs!
This way lions can produce loud roars without putting too much pressure on their lungs!
A lion‘s roar can be as loud as 114 decibels, which is as loud as some rock concerts!
Credits: fotoslaz/Shutterstock Interestingly, according to a speech scientist who is also the executive director of voice and speech, a lion’s roar is similar to a child’s cry for attention, although in the former case the voice is much deeper.
According to his research, the low-frequency roars of lions are not determined by nerve impulses from the brain, but by the physical properties of the vocal cords (i.e., their ability to stretch and shear).
Why do lions roar?
Like humans, animals communicate with each other, albeit in languages we do not understand.
Lions are very social as large carnivores, which is not surprising because they live in a ‘pride’ in the wild, i.e. a group of lions, lionesses and cubs.
Or he can roar simply to show off in front of other lions, which is clearly useful in the wild when it comes to mating!
The next time you hear the roar of a lion, just think about how quickly your vocal folds respond to that noise, resisting all that stretching and shearing stress.
Do you know why the lion’s roar is so loud and terrifying?
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References (click to expand) Born to Roar – UNews Archive – University of Utah.
H. Hast – The Larynx Of Roaring And Non-Roaring Cats – CiteSeerXKlemuk, S.
Adapted to Roar: Functional Morphology of Tiger and Lion Vocal Stems.
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