# Yelping noises in the garden **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827 "2009-11-16T21:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/1 "2009-11-16T21:34:05Z")
I recently moved to a new flat with a large garden that I don’t have access to and is wild. At night I can hear yelping noises, like a high-pitched dog bark, coming from the garden. It is clearly some kind of animal. The noises are quite regular, always the same pitch, and made in bursts with a few seconds between each one, followed by an approx. 30-40sec gap after a few. Anyone know what could be making them? ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/2 "2009-11-16T22:05:49Z")
I don’t think you guys have coyotes in the UK, so I’m going to guess it’s a fox. I’ve heard that red foxes have adjusted very well to urban areas. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/3 "2009-11-16T22:10:10Z")
I guess [foxes](http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/08/30/foxes_feature.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/4 "2009-11-16T22:35:11Z")
I was going to say red fox as well. Does it sound like this? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UxLHUxzEoRU/hqdefault.jpg "Red Fox Sounds") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxLHUxzEoRU) ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/5 "2009-11-16T22:38:00Z")
Free range chiuauas? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/6 "2009-11-17T22:14:41Z")
This time of year there is a good chance of foxes, they often pair up. You will probably get an almost unnatural and unnerving scream, almost sounds like a woman is being horribly murdered, at least thats what I imagine the sound is like, all part of the mating ritual. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/7 "2009-11-18T01:04:37Z")
Foxes is my first guess, too, but cats can also make some pretty unholy noises when they’re squaring up to each other at night. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/8 "2009-11-18T16:43:03Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Foxes is my first guess, too, but cats can also make some pretty unholy noises when they’re squaring up to each other at night. And some hedgehogs make loud squeals. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/9 "2009-11-18T16:54:51Z")
Many owls have calls that sound unusual. My first thought was a little owl or one of the scops owls. They can have really wierd sounding calls. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/10 "2009-11-18T20:21:36Z")
Another vote for foxes. I was going crazy trying to figure out what the noise was before I finally spotted one outside my house. [Example sound/video here (not mine.)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxLHUxzEoRU) Around my house they always seem to be right outside the range of lights. However, in Virginia Beach, they are so tame they will come right up to you at night, I thought the fox was rabid or something, but from article I read it’s not uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/11 "2009-11-18T20:32:14Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > This time of year there is a good chance of foxes, they often pair up. > > You will probably get an almost unnatural and unnerving scream, almost sounds like a woman is being horribly murdered, at least thats what I imagine the sound is like, all part of the mating ritual. i came here to say that too. First time I heard that it gave me the willies. It sounded like a woman screamaing to me also. I hope the foxes enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelping-noises-in-the-garden/517827/12 "2009-11-21T04:38:37Z")
Has there also been a bustle in your hedgerow?