Audiogram of the domestic mouse (Mus musculus)
Data from: Koay, G., Harrington, I.A., Heffner, R.S., and Heffner, H.E. (2002). Audiograms of mice lacking Scn8a sodium channels and their heterozygous littermates. Hearing Research, 171, 111-118.
Absolute thresholds (in dB re 2 µN/m2) for four mice (designated A through D)
|
Frequency (in kHz) |
Individual Thresholds (in dB) |
Average |
|||
|
C MedJ/+ |
D MedJ/+ |
A MedJ/MedJ |
B MedJ/MedJ |
||
|
1 |
91.5 |
92 |
|
|
91.8 |
|
2 |
68 |
70 |
69.5 |
69 |
69.1 |
|
3 |
38 |
40.8 |
39 |
38.8 |
39.1 |
|
4 |
30 |
29 |
27 |
31 |
29.2 |
|
8 |
18.5 |
16 |
17 |
16.8 |
17.1 |
|
16 |
11 |
4 |
6.5 |
8 |
7.4 |
|
32 |
22 |
21.5 |
23.8 |
23 |
22.6 |
|
50 |
19.5 |
18 |
20 |
18.8 |
19.1 |
|
64 |
27.5 |
27 |
29 |
27.5 |
27.8 |
|
80 |
43.5 |
42.5 |
41.5 |
42.5 |
42.5 |
|
90 |
77 |
73 |
74 |
74.5 |
74.6 |
Lowest and highest frequencies audible at sound pressure levels (SPL) ranging from 30 to 70 dB SPL
|
SPL (in dB) |
Lowest audible frequency (in kHz) |
Highest audible frequency (in kHz) |
|
70 |
2 |
89 |
|
60 |
2.3 |
85.5 |
|
50 |
2.6 |
82 |
|
40 |
3 |
77 |
|
30 |
3.9 |
66 |
Additional Parameters:
Body weight = 27 g
Functional interaural distance = 61 µs (Time required for sound to travel around the head from one auditory meatus to the other.)
Comments: Threshold values taken from original data. These results are in general agreement with the audiogram of Markl & Ehret (1973), with the exception of the 1 kHz threshold–we believe that their 1 kHz signal may have contained overtones to which the animals were responding.
See also the wild house mouse audiogram: Heffner, H., & Masterton, B. (1980). Hearing in glires: domestic rabbit, cotton rat, feral house mouse, and kangaroo rat. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 68, 1584-1599.
Markl, V.H., and Ehret, G. (1973) Die Horschwelle der Maus (Mus musculus). Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie, 33, 274-286.