# Do mice have echolocation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mice-have-echolocation/268209>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 8, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mice-have-echolocation/268209 "2004-10-08T15:37:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mice-have-echolocation/268209/1 "2004-10-08T15:37:44Z")

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Echolocation is the ability in animals to emit high frequency squeals and use the echo to determine the range & distance, & in some cases even the shape, of nearby objects. Bats & marine mammals like whales can do this. The mechanical equivalent is sonar.

Do mice have echolocation abilities? After all, they _are_ primarily nocturnal, seem very adept at avoiding predators, emit high pitched squeaks, and have enlarged ears.

**Do** mice have a (possibly limited) form of echolocation?

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mice-have-echolocation/268209/2 "2004-10-08T21:05:33Z")

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I can find no support for echolocation in mice. This quote, from [http://www.szgdocent.org/ff/f-bateco.htm](http://www.szgdocent.org/ff/f-bateco.htm) , pretty much sums up what I have found:

> [@](#):
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> Are bats the only echolocators? A few other mammals have also developed echolocation, e.g., toothed whales, dolphins, shrews, tenrecs. But bat echolocation is more sophisticated. Apparently blind humans also actually use echolocation! See Christine Uy’s “Seeing Sounds: Echolocation by Blind Humans” from the Harvard Undergraduate Society for Neuroscience.

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> After all, they are primarily nocturnal…

Nocturnal mice have proportionally large eyes and, within the eye itself, a proportionally large pupil. This allows their eyes to gather and use what little light is available. Blind mice would not be able to navigate nearly so well, regardless of what the nursery song would have you believe.

> [@](#):
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> …emit high pitched squeaks…

Yes, but not constantly, as a bat or a dolphin emits clicks or squeaks. Hence the phrase “Quiet as a mouse”. Mice generally squeak when in danger or distress.

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> …and have enlarged ears.

All the better to hear you with, my little pretty! As their best defense is to avoid anything that may be prey, mice have a keen sense of hearing. Proportionally large ears gather more sound waves.

Consider this: if mice could echolocate, snakes would have a much tougher time catching them.