The other day I thought it would be fascinating to hear how foxes communicate with one another.Not surprisingly, I started my search by looking up “fox communication,” and I received links to Fox News. Not really what I wanted. So, I took a step further, “fox communication vixen (a female fox).” I clicked the first video.

I’ve found that vixens make other, much softer vocalizations too. But, imagine my surprise when my first video is of a fox screaming! Immediately, I thought about how we must sound to other animals. Humans create and manipulate sound as a way to communicate with one another. It’s our hope that when we phonate, that other humans will understand our work and respond in kind. But what does the fox hear? I imagine we sound just as disturbing to the fox. If you want to share a message with the world, think about how the ones you seek to serve communicate - speak their language. Don’t scream.

Last modified on 2020-05-17