Animal Sounds for Realistic Roleplaying
When it comes to roleplaying different species of animals, there are some who don't know what kind of sounds different canines and felines make. Not all felines go "meow" or "roar", and not all canines can go "bark" or make the same howling sounds as wolves and dogs do. Different animals in the animal kingdom make different sounds, even if they are part of the same groups or families. For this tutorial, I have provided some videos I gathered from YouTube that demonstrates different sounds animals make. Feline CallsI've seen people make a few little mistakes about the sounds some felines can and can't make. For one thing, not all big cats can roar... that's a fact. The following members of the feline family CANNOT roar.~Domestic cat, Cheetah, Jaguar, Snow leopard, Bobcat, Lynx, Serval, CaracalMost people would think that all big cats have the ability to roar like a lion or a tiger. WRONG! Not all big cats can roar. However, they can make other sounds. Here are some videos that depict what kind of sounds non-roaring big cats can make. Cheetah
So they pretty much sound like squeaky toys. Cheetahs can make chirping sounds, croaking sounds, and purring. Whenever they get angry, they can hiss and spit. The hiss they make is sometimes loud enough to sound like a gunshot.Cheetah Call List
~Chirp
~Squeak
~Hiss
Roleplay ExamplesThe Correct Way:1.) -The cheetah squeaked happily as she played with her siblings- "You can't catch me!" she chirped with enthusiasm. "I can run the fastest!"
2.) -As the hyena approached the carcass, she began to hiss angrily- "This is my kill!" she spat "Go find your own."
The Incorrect Way:1.) -The male cheetah roared loudly to scare away the group of hyenas-
2.) -As he charged at the rival cheetah, he let out a roar of anger- "Get out of my territory before I kill you!" he growled.
Bobcats and Lynxes
Bobcats and lynxes cannot really roar, but can make similar sounds. They yowl when they are angry, and challenging an intruding bobcat in their territory. They make chirping and croaking sounds to call at each other. They don't neccisarilly meow like domestic cats do. They can also squeak, and screech.Bobcat/Lynx Call List
~Chirp
~Croak
~Yowl
~Moan
~Hiss
~Growl
Roleplay ExamplesThe Correct Way:1.) -The wildcat (bobcat) stretched up to rake his claws down the trunk of the tree. He made chirping sounds as a way to let other bobcats know of his presence.-
2.) -She didn't like seeing a domestic cat trying to take what was rightfully hers- "Not so fast!" the lynx growled hoarsly. "What makes you think you can take my fresh prey, huh? You got some nerve!" She crouched low and started snarling in a harsh meowing cry.-
The Incorrect Way:1.) "Get away from my cubs, you fiend!" the mother bobcat roared angrily. "Stay away from my babies!"
Cougar (Mountain Lion)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yfMbgReik8A cougar's roar is different from the roar of an African lion. It's more of a screaming sound than a roar. People often say that a cougar's roar can sound like a woman screaming or a baby screaming. I once heard those kind of calls in the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. People tell me "Oh that was probably just a mountain lion." .... What a haunting call 0_oCougar Call List
~Scream
~Squeak
~Croak
~Hiss
Roleplay ExamplesThe Correct Way:1.) -The cougar stalked her prey very quietly, waiting for the right moment to strike. When she felt the time was right, she chased after the weakest elk in the herd. She leaped on the elk, dug her claws into his shoulders, and sank her teeth into his neck. As he tossed her off, she let out a slight screeching sound.-
2.) -The mountain lion flicked his ears as he saw the two wolves approaching. Being naturally afraid of large canines, he let out a low hissing sound- "Oh great," he croaked. "More wolves have come to take my food."
3.) -She made a loud cry that sounded like a woman screaming in sheer terror, or pain.-
The Incorrect Way:1.) -To show that he was more powerful than his opponent, the cougar let out a loud roar that could be heard for miles around.-
Here is a video that shows many big cats making different sounds and calls.
Canine CallsCanines can make different sounds as well. There are some canines that can't bark or can't howl. Foxes, for example, make a variety of noises besides "barking" and "howling". Most people would argue that foxes can't howl. Some would say that it's more of a yowling, or a wailing cry. I'll let you be the judge of that. All members of the canine family can make whimpering sounds, and high pitched whining sounds. Wolves
Most people believe that wolves can bark... but they really can't. From doing research on sites like WolfQuest.org and other places, wolves cannot make any barking noises like domestic dogs can. However, they can make yipping and yapping sounds, whinning sounds, and yelping sounds like domestic dogs can. Wolfdog hyrbrids are more likely to make barking noises.Wolf Call List
~Howl
~Snarl
~Growl
~Whimper
~Yapping
Roleplay ExamplesThe Correct Way:1.) -As the lead wolf approached the pack, she got down in a submissive position and started whimpering. "How was the hunt?" she said while licking his muzzle.
2.) -He jumped around happily as he played with his fellow packmates. "I'm gonna get ya!" he yapped playfully as he bounded over to his friend.
The Incorrect Way:1.) "Hey you!" he barked. "What do you think you're doing with my scrap of food?" He began to bark angrily as the sneaky fox took off with a small scrap of meat.
Foxes
As you can see, foxes make a variety of strange noises. Their howling is more like a wailing sound, and they are the only members of the canine family to make gekkering sounds. One mistake I saw someone doing was making their fox character meow like a cat. Even though some people believe foxes are related to cats, they CANNOT meow. Even when a fox was raised in a clan of cats in an RP, they can't meow.Fox Call List
~Alarm bark
~Scream
~Howl
~Gekkering
~Chirping -some species-
Roleplay ExamplesThe Correct Way:1.) -Seeing a hungry mountain lion in the distance made the vixen very nervous. "There's a cougar coming this way!" she said in an alarm bark to her kits. "Everyone get inside the den! Now!"
2.) -The fox kit gekkered happily as he tackled his brother- "Tag! You're it!" he chirped before running off to hide in the tall grass.-
The Incorrect Way:1.) -The lonesome fox made low howling noises like a wolf-
2.) "What do you expect me to do about it?" he meowed to the clan leader.
Coyote
The coyote call is a bit of a yipping/barking, followed by high-pitched howling. A coyote's howl is much more high-pitched than that of a wolf.Coyote Call List
~Bark
~Yapping
~High-pitched howling
~Snarl
~Growl
~Whimper
Roleplay ExamplesThe Correct Way:1.) -The lone coyote began to bark and howl to see if there were any others of his kind around. His howls were short and high-pitched. "Hello out there! Can anyone hear me?"
2.) -The pack leader howled and barked to get everyone's attention- "Listen up everybody!" he barked. "It's time for us to go out on another hunt. There is a small herd of deer not too far from here."
The Incorrect Way:1.) -She howled a long sorrowful howl that could be heard hundreds of miles away.- "I'm so alone!" she called out.
I hope this helped some of you who like doing realistic roleplays. I may add more animal sound samples later on. All of this was based on research. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. You can also do some research of your own to find out what sounds other animals can make. Class dismissed!
