The Noisiest Animal

The sound in question is made by the male, in courtship display – by rubbing its penis against its abdomen.

Science Daily explains this, but shys away from naming the actual body parts. The Telegraph has no such qualms.

This is an example of a process called stridulation, which is basically the act of producing sound by rubbing together any two body parts. It's also how grasshoppers and crickets make their well–known sound – but they do it (according to the Canal & River Trust) by rubbing their back legs against their forewings.

In the words of Wikipedia: "Male grasshoppers spend much of the day stridulating."

Enough said, I think.

© Haydn Thompson 2024