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<p>Play fighting is a form of social interaction requiring fine-tuned communication to prevent misunderstandings and minimize the risk of escalation. To ensure the benign intent of play is properly conveyed, animals recruit signals from multiple sensory modalities, thereby enhancing signal efficacy. In mammals, the Relaxed Open Mouth (ROM) is the most common visual play signal, typically displayed within the receiver’s visual field to convey playful intent. Conversely, vocal play signals remain poorly studied, partly due to the difficulty of reliably identifying the emitters. We investigated playful visual/vocal communication in wild spotted hyenas (<i>Crocuta crocuta</i>), a species engaging in social play throughout all life stages. A total of 238 play sessions involving 139 individuals from two populations (Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania; Makalali Reserve, South Africa) were analyzed. ROMs occurred more frequently in dyadic play, where stable visual contact is easier to maintain than in polyadic play. ROM frequency was positively correlated with play competition, measured as the rate of playful offensive actions. A fuzzy clustering analysis of acoustic parameters identified 13 vocal types during play, ranging from discrete to graded according to their acoustic stereotypy. While ROM production was independent of the vocalization rate, vocalizations increased when ROMs were less frequent. Our findings suggest that ROM is a ritualized play signal, whereas vocalizations are more flexible cues that are recruited according to contextual demands. Visual and vocal channels are subject to different constraints and flexibly recruited during play, with vocalizations possibly compensating for reduced visual accessibility.</p>

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Eyes, ears, and play in the wild: flexible use of sensory channels in spotted hyena communication

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月18日

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  • Martina Francesconi,
  • Erica Masciarelli,
  • Virginia Schianini,
  • Michael Job,
  • Eve Davidian,
  • Oliver Patrick Höner,
  • Elisabetta Palagi

摘要

Play fighting is a form of social interaction requiring fine-tuned communication to prevent misunderstandings and minimize the risk of escalation. To ensure the benign intent of play is properly conveyed, animals recruit signals from multiple sensory modalities, thereby enhancing signal efficacy. In mammals, the Relaxed Open Mouth (ROM) is the most common visual play signal, typically displayed within the receiver’s visual field to convey playful intent. Conversely, vocal play signals remain poorly studied, partly due to the difficulty of reliably identifying the emitters. We investigated playful visual/vocal communication in wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), a species engaging in social play throughout all life stages. A total of 238 play sessions involving 139 individuals from two populations (Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania; Makalali Reserve, South Africa) were analyzed. ROMs occurred more frequently in dyadic play, where stable visual contact is easier to maintain than in polyadic play. ROM frequency was positively correlated with play competition, measured as the rate of playful offensive actions. A fuzzy clustering analysis of acoustic parameters identified 13 vocal types during play, ranging from discrete to graded according to their acoustic stereotypy. While ROM production was independent of the vocalization rate, vocalizations increased when ROMs were less frequent. Our findings suggest that ROM is a ritualized play signal, whereas vocalizations are more flexible cues that are recruited according to contextual demands. Visual and vocal channels are subject to different constraints and flexibly recruited during play, with vocalizations possibly compensating for reduced visual accessibility.