Department of Psychology

Audiogram of the hamster (Mesocricetus auritus)

 

Data from: Heffner, R.S., Koay, G., and Heffner, H.E. (2001) Audiograms of five species of rodents: Implications for the evolution of hearing and the encoding of pitch. Hearing Research, 157, 138-152.

 

Absolute thresholds (in dB re 20 µN/m2) for eight hamsters (designated A through H)

 

Frequency

(in kHz)

 

Individual Thresholds (in dB)

 

Average

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

 

.031

88

83.5

84.5

82.5

84.6

.063

67.5

71.5

67

66.5

68.1

.125

56

58

53.5

55

55.6

.250

46.5

48.5

45.5

47

46.9

.500

44

43

41.5

36.5

41.3

1

40.5

32

32

30.5

33.8

2

32

29

33

30.5

31.1

4

17.5

15.5

13

18

18

17

20

19

17.3

5

12

11

14

14

12.8

6.3

1

4

5

8

4.5

8

 9.5

9.5

9.5

2

-4

3

4

8

5.2

10

-1

3

1

3

1.5

12.5

-4

2

8

13

4.8

16

23

20

25.5

36.5

21

25

34

18

25.4

20

14

18

21

23

19

25

20

21

17

21

19.8

32

21

19

23

25.5

12

6

13

23

17.8

40

28

28

26

33

28.8

45

50

65

48.5

55

54.6

50

79

81

78

76

78.5

                     

 

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

.058

48.5

60

.096

46.5

50

.200

42.5

40

.550

38

30

2.1

35

 

Additional Parameters:

Body weight = 130 g

Functional interaural distance= 114 µs

(Time required for sound to travel around the head from one auditory meatus to the other.)

 

Comments: Threshold values taken from original data.

Last Updated: 6/27/22