There’s little doubt that animals communicate very well both between themselves and with humans. But how exactly do they do this? A closer look reveals an amazing and sometimes hidden side to our fellow animals that we don’t always see.
Behavioral Communication
Many animals have distinct social behaviors. A classic example is honeybee dances.
When a scout bee finds a good source of pollen, she returns to the hive and starts dancing. By waggling her abdomen, turning different directions and buzzing her wings, she tells the other bees the location of the pollen stash.
To add to the challenge, the dances are done inside the hive, which is dark. The assembled bees can’t even physically see the dancer. Regardless, the directions are still clearly communicated through air vibrations and other subtle means.
Horses also have very complex behavioral communication. The position of a horse’s tail, legs and ears can have a variety of meanings, from pleasure to alarm. And drawing their lips back can mean they’re feeling s@xually aroused, checking out an interesting smell or giving you a warning to back off.
For all animals, including humans, mating behaviors may be the most important part of life. The white-fronted parrot takes this to a new level. These parrots actually engage in mouth-to-mouth k@ssing, which is rare in the animal world. After a couple has k@ssed and warmed up to each other for awhile, the male will vomit into the female’s mouth. The female takes this as a sign of deep intimacy.
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Communication through the Senses
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1. Smell
Odor is probably the most common type of animal communication. This is done through pheromones, chemicals that animals produce to carry messages between them. These messages can relate to information such as territory, identity, food, s@x, social cues or danger. Pheromones can be secreted in urine, feces or from special scent glands.
Insects may have the most effective long-range pheromones. A female moth’s mating pheromones are so strong a male can detect them from miles away. The male’s antennae have scent receptor cells that are finely tuned to pick up a female’s scent.
Researchers from Georgia Tech found that pheromones also play a significant role in coral reef. Coral are able to release a chemical that tells small fish called gobies that harmful algae is starting to grow on the coral. The gobies will respond within minutes and come to eat the algae. This process helps keep the reef healthy and in balance.
2. Touch
Touch between animals is usually very purposeful. Apes and monkeys will hug and touch mouths on meeting. Some species will place a hand in a newly arrived monkey’s mouth, then the other monkey will reciprocate. It’s thought to be a sign of trust and goodwill between monkeys.
Many animals nuzzle each other, such as cats and rhinoceroses. Research suggests that the majority of species nuzzle simply as a way to show affection and to strengthen or establish social bonds.
Elephants rely a great deal on touch. They use their trunk, ears, tusks, feet, tail and even general body rubbing to convey a broad range of information. In fact, an elephant’s trunk contains some of the most sensitive tissue ever studied. A trunk can be used to encourage a calf, play with a family member, explore a potential mate or reassure another when facing a predator.
