News in Brief Animals

Dolphins name themselves with a whistle

The marine mammals respond only to their own handles

ANIMAL HANDLES  Wild bottlenose dolphins (one shown) respond to hearing their "signature whistles," specific  high-pitched tunes that may serve as the animals' names.

Courtesy of V. Janik, University of St. Andrews

By Meghan Rosen

- More than 2 years ago

To call a dolphin, just whistle a squeaky shout-out.

Bottlenose dolphins answer to high-pitched bursts of sound — but each animal responds to only one specific trill, its “signature whistle,” Stephanie King and Vincent Janik of the University of St.