News Animals

Squeaky chimp sex, or not

Chimps change their sounds depending on the eavesdropper

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

When a chimp has sex in the forest, will she make a sound?

FOLLOW ME As a female chimp nears ovulation, her rump enlarges. Such signs told researchers which chimps to follow when trying to record females’ calls during sex. Florian Moellers

Depends in part on who’s listening, literally, says a scientist who has spent months recording chimp sex sounds in the wild.