河马也能闻声识友

野生河马是吵闹的动物，叫声可以传到湖泊和河流另一边的远处。但到目前为止，这种动物发出的一种响亮叫声有何确切的作用仍是一个谜。不过，科学家现在有了一个有趣的发现。

 

Hippos are noisy creatures making squeals¹, grunts², bellows³ and honks⁴. But until now, the function of the loudest ‘wheeze honks' the animals make has been a mystery.

河马是会发出尖叫声、哼哼声、低吼声和鸣叫声的吵闹动物。但到目前为止，这种动物发出的最响亮的 “喘叫声” 有何用处仍是一个谜。

 

The researchers recorded hippo talk at a nature reserve in Mozambique to find out more about the behaviour of these talkative mammals. They broadcast the recordings⁵ through loudspeakers over lakes and found resident hippos responded differently to friends, neighbours and strangers, suggesting they could tell each other apart.

研究人员在莫桑比克的一个自然保护区记录了河马之间的交流，以了解这些叫个不停的哺乳动物的更多习性。他们用扩音器在湖边播放河马叫声的录音，发现当地河马对同伴、邻居和陌生河马的反应不同，表明它们可以区分彼此。

 

Hippos are not yet endangered, but their numbers are plummeting⁶ fast. The scientists say their study has important implications for conservation policy and could help the management of hippo populations in the wild.

虽然河马尚未濒临灭绝，但它们的数量正在骤减。科学家表示，他们的研究对动物保护政策有重要意义，可能有助于野生河马种群的管理。

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