# Is it true that when ducks quack, there is no echo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229 "2003-02-20T00:00:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neonfish07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Neonfish07](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neonfish07)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/1 "2003-02-20T00:00:31Z")
Is it true that when ducks quack, there is no echo? I heard it somewhere, and I can’t imagine how that is possible. k thx. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/2 "2003-02-20T00:04:47Z")
[Not true.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_071.html) ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/3 "2003-02-20T00:07:26Z")
Welcom aboard **Neonfish07**. This question has been asked several times, so you might find all you need to know in one of these threads… [Does a duck’s quack echo?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=151008) [Duck Quacks and Echos](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=113825) [Duck quacks don’t echo? and other “facts”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=108427) [Do duck’s quacks echo?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=84883) It’s also worth running a search before starting a thread in the General Questions forum. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/4 "2003-02-20T00:56:12Z")
Neither is it true that the elephant is the only animal that cannot jump(which I am pretty sure you will have heard from the same source); consider oysters, snails, earthworms, tortoises, scale insects - none of these can jump. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/5 "2003-02-20T01:11:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Neither is it true that the elephant is the only animal that cannot jump(which I am pretty sure you will have heard from the same source); consider oysters, snails, earthworms, tortoises, scale insects - none of these can jump. \*\* Am I the only guy who read that, and thought of a guy trying to train his pet snail to jump? “Come on Zippy, you can do it jump boy, jump.” Oh and getting back to the OP, I have heard the echo of a duck’s quack. ---
**Author:** ![njufoic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@njufoic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njufoic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/6 "2003-02-20T01:19:30Z")
A lot of these types of “facts” are being spread by none other than Snapple, which currently has various “weird yet true” items printed on their bottle caps. Most of the ones I’ve seen are actually true AFAIK, but some (such as the quack echo) are not. I guess they just harvested them from the net. -Andrew L ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/7 "2003-02-20T01:31:22Z")
I always heard that the elephant was the only animal with knees that couldn’t jump. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/8 "2003-02-20T01:41:06Z")
Tortoises have knees, but only one kneecap, which, oddly, is situated under the chin. This is why they cannot quack. ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/9 "2003-02-20T02:17:08Z")
If a duck quacks in a canyon, and no one is around to hear it, does it still echo? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/10 "2003-02-20T02:23:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Tortoises have knees, but only one kneecap, which, oddly, is situated under the chin. This is why they cannot quack. \*\* That quacked me right up. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/11 "2003-02-20T02:37:37Z")
The Snapple cap says that the elephant is the only _mammal_ that can’t jump, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/12 "2003-02-20T02:42:57Z")
The Snapple cap says that the elephant is the only _mammal_ that can’t jump, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/13 "2003-02-20T02:50:17Z")
It is true that most of the time a duck’s quack does not have any “echo” if you define “echo” as something that can be easily heard. But that holds true for most sounds. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/14 "2003-02-20T03:12:16Z")
Does the question “Is it true that when ducks quack, there is no echo?” have an echo? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/15 "2003-02-20T03:21:44Z")
Some Staff Reports for your consideration: [Can elephants jump?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/melephan.html) and [Followup: African elephants CAN jump!](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/melepha2.html) And just for good measure, [Is the camel the only animal that can’t swim?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcamelswim.html) ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/16 "2003-02-20T03:40:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rick \* > \*\*Am I the only guy who read that, and thought of a guy trying to train his pet snail to jump? > “Come on Zippy, you can do it jump boy, jump.” > > Oh and getting back to the OP, I have heard the echo of a duck’s quack. \*\* No, but you are the first person to name a fictitious snail “Zippy.” ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/17 "2003-02-20T04:00:27Z")
> [@](#): > > I always heard that the elephant was the only animal with knees that couldn’t jump. Not true. I am fairly certain that most animals’ knees cannot jump. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/18 "2003-02-20T08:33:13Z")
I once had a half shoulder of lamb that would sit up and beg. ---
**Author:** ![superfreakicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@superfreakicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superfreakicus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/19 "2003-02-20T13:01:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Exapno Mapcase \* > \*\*The Snapple cap says that the elephant is the only _mammal_ that can’t jump, IIRC. \*\* larry bird’s a mammal. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229/20 "2003-02-20T13:24:15Z")
Having a second look at the threads I linked to before I noticed a trend: “Does a duck’s quack echo?” was started by **Tia3child** ; Registered: Nov 2002, Posts: 16 “Duck Quacks and Echos” was started by **DrummerWannabe** ; Registered: May 2002, Posts: 1 “Do duck’s quacks echo?” was started by **John M. Wiley** ; Registered: May 2001, Posts: 2 What is it about these drive-by newbies that are fascinated by quacking ducks and then disappear without trace when they discover it’s all garbage? Have they got nothing else to say? Are they scared off by the “humourous” contributions their threads generate? Will we ever hear from **Neonfish07** again? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-when-ducks-quack-there-is-no-echo/156229.md?page=2)