Whenever we think of wild animals, the apex predators like lions and tigers, their roars are the first thing that crosses our minds.
It is what makes these animals so frightening and at the same time attractive to us humans. But several creatures are quiet, but they can prove equally dangerous.
For example, most serpents are quiet creatures. They will not even produce a hissing sound unless provoked. But they are one of the most dangerous creatures.
I learned about quiet animals from a friend who is a wildlife biologist and following our conversation I decided to compile this list of quiet animals.
Animals that are quiet:
- Iguanas
- Deer
- Ring-tailed lemurs
- Cats
- Guinea pigs
- Koalas
- Bearded Dragons
- Rabbits
- Butterflies
- Hamsters
- Snakes
What animals are quiet?
1. Iguanas
If you have a pet iguana, you will know that the creature can be very quiet, and unless you are careful, you will not be able to identify any sound emanating from the creature.
Iguanas are extremely quiet, and the only sound you might get from the creature resembles a cough or sneeze.
Iguanas sometimes make raspy sounds to expel the excess sodium from their system.
When it tries to expel the excess salts from its body, it makes a particular snorting sound. At that moment, you will find grit-like material near its nose.
Similarly, the other raspy sound that the creature makes is usually a defense mechanism to ward off predators. The whipping of its tail usually accompanies this.
2. Deer
Although deer hunting is not something animal lovers appreciate, it is practiced in many countries.
Deer is one of those tranquil creatures that have a sharp sense of hearing. This is one of the reasons why deer hunting is favored by hunters.
However, the ability of the animal to stay makes hunting deer quite tricky as the creature can remain almost undetected.
The only way that hunters can identify the presence of a deer is by the rustling of leaves or by observing the movement of the creatures nearby.
For example, if you hear a squirrel barking or a blue jay screeching, it is to make the other creatures in the forest aware of the presence of deer.
Otherwise, deer can often move undetected through a forest.
3. Ring-tailed lemurs
The appearance of ring-tailed lemurs is quite spooky, especially with their orange eyes and striped tails.
But despite their appearances which may seem to you that they came out of a ghost story, these creatures are pretty gentle and docile.
The ring-tailed lemur is one of the quietest creatures in the forests of Madagascar and one of the animals that have a long tail.
You will find that the sounds they make, which rarely happen, are soft and equally ghostly.
These creatures are known to hang upside down and can jump from one branch of a tree to another almost soundlessly.
Thus, the ring-tailed lemur is not only a creature that does not make any sound but also one whose movements are equally quiet.
When it comes to communication, ring-tailed lemurs visually communicate with other group members.
4. Cats
Cats are, by nature, quiet animals. If you have a pet cat and it does not meow, do not worry because cats are not prone to excessive vocalization.
A cat meows only when it is hungry or to ward off predators. The domestic cat has evolved from the African wildcats, and these creatures are hunters.
Moreover, most creatures in the feline family are ambush hunters. Therefore, the creatures developed the ability to stay quiet and remain still while hunting to become expert hunters.
This is why you will often find your pet cat sitting quietly in a corner, observing everything going on in the house without making a sound.
However, when your pet cat needs your attention, you will find it making a quiet purring sound.
Cats are one of the quietest pets you can have, making them the second most commonly owned pet by people worldwide.
5. Koalas
Koalas are wild animals, and you might have seen images of wildlife experts cuddling koalas.
Koalas are undoubtedly adorable creatures, but they prefer to be left alone.
They are so quiet that they will not make a sound even when they are terrified or stressed.
Therefore, when you see experts handling koalas, it primarily indicates whether the creature has suffered an injury and needs treatment.
Koalas prefer to sleep nearly seventeen to twenty-two hours a day, and hence, they are naturally quiet creatures.
However, they can get stressed when they come into human contact or are raised in captivity.
Therefore, even for experts, managing koalas can be difficult because the creature does not make much sound to make its discomfort known.
They thrive only when they have minimum contact with humans.
6. Guinea pigs
Guinea pigs are rodents, and it is natural to think that they will make sounds when they are left in their cage.
But unlike other rodents, guinea pigs can prove to be extremely quiet.
If you are planning to bring a guinea pig home to teach your child responsibility, you can be assured that it is one of those pets that will not keep you on your toes with incessant noise making.
Instead, you won’t even notice a pet in the house.
Guinea pigs keep to themselves, and they hardly make any noise.
They are usually quiet, shy and tend to make noise only when there are any issues.
7. Bearded dragons
Bearded dragons are reptiles, and hence, it is necessary to check the temperature of your terrarium to ensure that your pet is healthy and energetic.
By nature, bearded dragons are quiet creatures, and they will not make any loud noise. Moreover, bearded dragons despise deafening noises.
Therefore, they will stay quietly in the terrarium, making movements and slight hissing noises only when upset.
But if your bearded dragon has become quite lazy and has stopped eating, then it is time to check the terrarium’s temperature.
If the temperature is not at the optimum level, you will find that the creature is not making the slightest hissing noise and has become more quiet than usual.
8. Rabbits
If you have a pet rabbit, you must have observed that the creature tends to stay quiet and not make any sound unless distressed.
Rabbits can be categorized as quiet creatures because they hardly make any noise and avoid situations where they have to make loud sounds.
When your pet rabbit is happy, you will find it making a quiet purring sound.
Moreover, rabbits are crepuscular animals, which means they sleep soundly throughout the night.
Therefore, you need not worry about the creature making any sound at night and disturbing you. All of these show that rabbits are quiet animals.
9. Butterflies
Butterflies are unique insects because although they fly swiftly, you will never hear their wings making any sound.
The reason butterflies are considered quiet creatures is that we usually associate a sound with the movement of wings.
For example, there is a distinctive sound when a bird flaps its wings.
But when a butterfly flits from one flower to another, searching for nectar, you will not hear any sound.
Queen Alexandra’s birdwing butterfly, the largest butterfly, also does not make a sound while flying.
Only a few butterflies like the ones belonging to the Hamadryas or the Chrysalides species make a faint clicking sound to protect their territories.
10. Hamsters
Hamsters make for one the gentlest and quietest pets.
Any hamster owner will tell you that the creature is quiet and shy by nature.
Hamsters prefer to be left alone in their cage, and they do not do well if you keep picking them up and petting them.
Sometimes hamsters make soft vocalizations that you will have to understand as the owner.
For example, you will have to check whether there is sufficient water in the cage or whether there is some other thing missing from its cage.
By observing its behavior, you can understand its needs. Therefore, since hamsters are quiet creatures, it is essential to understand their alternative behaviors to understand their requirements.