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An independent field reference

A listening guide to short and sustained barks

Compare the attack, duration, and room echo of each example. The names describe the recording, rather than a biological species.

In everyday folklore, a barking spider is the supposed source of an otherwise unexplained fart. The joke works because the sound is instantly recognisable and the creature is remarkably difficult to produce on demand. The recordings here are sound effects that illustrate that usage. Real Australian tarantulas also have regional names including barking and whistling spiders; their defensive stridulation is a different subject.

Listening copy · short bark

Short bark

A brief, rounded interruption with a soft finish.

Illustrative fart sound effect · Mike Koenig, CC BY 3.0 · Recording and edit credits

Listening notes and recording details →
Listening copy · rolling call

Rolling call

A longer, uneven phrase with several closely spaced pulses.

Illustrative fart sound effect · Mike Koenig, CC BY 3.0 · Recording and edit credits

Listening notes and recording details →
Listening copy · room echo

Room echo

A short source followed by a small-room reverberation.

Illustrative fart sound effect · Mike Koenig, CC BY 3.0 · Recording and edit credits

Listening notes and recording details →

How to compare the recordings

Listen for the first attack, the number of pulses, and how long the sound remains after the source stops. A room echo can make a short source seem much longer. Describing those features is more useful than turning the volume up.

For the expression’s background, read the meaning of barking spider.

Original sounds you can use

The recorded samples above are credited to Mike Koenig. For a separate original collection, try the synthetic pack and A/B comparison, watch the waveform video, or embed a player.