Witnessing eggs hatching is one of the most memorable and beautiful things we can see in our lives, but even before the little birds or reptiles make their ways out of the shell to breathe the fresh air for the first time, they provide quite a few wonders. One of these is their squeaking and chirping that can be heard only when we take a really close look at the eggs.
Some birds start chirping even before hatching (Photo: pixabay.com)
Animals developing in fertilized eggs start to make some noises - mostly chirping or squeaking - a few days before they eventually start hatching. Though their sounds may seem really quiet, sometimes barely even audible to our ears, it has an important role in the lives of the animals.
One notable reason for the chirping is that this way, animals can synchronize when exactly they hatch - which is extremely important in the case of some species. Baby sea turtles, for example, have the best chances to stay alive if they start heading for the water in the very same time, for this way predators will more likely miss some of the young reptiles. Another interesting thing about sea turtles is that despite the popular belief of them being "silent", they actually communicate by using vocal signals, too.
Other reptiles, like alligators start communicating not only with their siblings, but also with their mother while still in the eggs. Our ears may not even notice the young animals' sound, but their mother immediately recognizes the noises, and starts digging out the nest.
Female alligators start digging out the nest when hearing the vocal signals of their offsprings (Photo: pixabay.com)
Birds start chirping to their mothers and siblings while in the eggs, too. If you are lucky enough, you can hear the soft "peeping" sound chicks make before they finally break out of the eggs.
In the case of birds, it's worth noting that even the mothers, sometimes the fathers "speak" to their eggs. This could be especially important to young animals that are imprinting to the sound of their mothers rather than her image. Ducklings, for example mostly imprint to the mother duck's voice, and they could benefit from hearing her before the hatching.
