Animal communication

Based on the HowStuffWorks article:

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/animals-communicate.htm
 not just “Talking”

Animals might not speak in words like we do, but

they have other ways of communicating.

Whale song, wolf howls, frog croaks, bird chirps --

even the wiggling dance of the honeybee or the
wagging of a dog's tail -- are among the many ways
animals share information with each other.
Different styles of
communication
Visual:
SEEING

Auditory:
HEARING

Tactile:
TOUCHING

Chemical:
SMELLING
 Visual

Visual communication is what you can see. These are

actions or postures (ways of arranging the body) that
show a mood.

Dogs that wag their tails are happy. Cats that arch
their backs are threatening.

Fireflies show bioluminescense - they use chemicals to

light up!

Peacocks use their amazing tails to attract attention.

 Auditory

Some animals use “verbal” communication, which is

making sounds like meowing, barking, howling,
chattering, squeaking, and more.

Sometimes they make other sounds, too, like when a

dolphin slaps its tail on the water. If this noise sends a
message to other animals, it’s considered
communication!
 Auditory
You probably know that when people from different places
speak, they might use different words or have accents.
Animals do this, too! Animals in different places make
sounds in different “dialects.”

For example, one study found that blue whales use different
patterns of pulses, tones and pitches depending on where
they're from. Click HERE to watch a video!

What about animals that live on the border between areas?

Some birds have been seen to become bilingual, and able to
sing in the style used by each of their groups of neighbors.
 Auditory
However, human noise is interfering with animals’ ability to
communicate.

Increased shipping traffic over the last century has made it

harder for whales to hear each other around the ocean
basin.

Studies have found that songbirds, too, suffer from noisy

urban environments. Some species have had to modify their
singing styles, producing songs that are louder and shriller, in
order to be heard. Sometimes this can be less appealing to
other birds, and change their behavior, too.
 Tactile

Some animals communicate with the way they touch

each other.

Primates, like monkeys, bond by cleaning each other.

A bee sting warns the victim to stay away from the

hive.

What do you think the poking quills on a porcupine

communicate? What about a dog licking your hand?
 Chemical

Some animals can even use chemicals to

communicate.

A skunk uses its smell to keep predators away.

Have you ever seen a cat or a dog pee on a tree?

They may have been marking their territory! There
are smells in these animals’ urine that tell others
“Hey, I live here, this is my space.”
 Communication

Pay attention to the animals around you, and how

they may be communicating with each other, and even
with you. They don’t use words, but they’re definitely
saying plenty!