When we talk about communication between animals, we mean the transmission of information from one animal to another, causing an action or a change in the recipient of information, this communication ranges from very simple interactions between individuals to complex social networks.
As we will see, in many cases experience and learning play a key role in communication.This implies that some animals have a great capacity for memorization.Want to know more? In this article by Animal Expert, we show curious examples of different types of communication between them.
- Sometimes the question arises: do animals communicate with each other?The answer to this question.
- As we will see below.
- Is yes.
- There are different types of communication between animals.
- Depending on the type of signal they transmit.
- They can be visual.
- Chemical (hormonal).
- Tactile.
- Auditory (animal sounds) or even electrical.
- Let’s look at some of the main types of animal communication below:.
Visual communication is very common in the world of birds, males generally have a more striking color than females, which serves to draw attention during the mating ritual, often this ritual is based on an elaborate dance, through which the woman is manifested to her good health and her commitment to young people.An example is the males of the species Ceratopipra mentalis, who impress their females with a dance step very similar to Michael Jackson’s “Moonwalk”.
Some insects, such as monarch butterflies, have a very striking color, their patterns of designs and colors indicate to predators that they are not a good food, that is, they are toxic or have very bad taste.The fire frog (Bombina orientalis) also uses This technique, as the name suggests, the belly of this frog is red, when a predator approaches, shows its abdomen and warns predators that there will be retaliation if they decide to eat it.
Chemical communication is one of the most unknown, but very important in the animal kingdom, the most curious examples can be found in the group of social insects, for example, the communication of bees is based on the secretion of various chemicals called pheromones.they can inform the rest of the hive of the presence of a danger or the flowers from which they have extracted the nectar.
The queen bee also controls the worker by secreting a special pheromone that prevents it from reproducing.That’s why the queen is the only bee capable of laying eggs.Exactly the same goes for ants, which use pheromones to tell the rest of the colony the way they must go to get to the food.That’s why we always see them walking online.
As for touch communication, it can be easily seen in apes like the chimpanzee.These animals clean each other up, eliminating their parasites.This behavior allows them to strengthen their relationship. You will also have noticed that dogs show their love licking, as you can see in this other article about Why dogs lick ?, and ask us with their paws to show affection.
As for the sounds of animals it is a very complex world, in many cases it has been stated that language is not characteristic of the human being and that we can also talk about the existence of the language of animals., there is a lot of debate about it. So you can make a decision, let’s look at some examples.
A widely studied type of animal communication is called alarm.It is the sounds of animals that indicate the presence of a predator.As a result, the group can remain safe. In many species, the warning is different for the predator.For example, Cercopithecus aethiops is a monkey that has different alarm calls to indicate the presence of cheetahs, eagles or snakes.
On the other hand, one of the most amazing animals, able to emit different sounds of alarm or danger, is the cat.Discover in this other article, the 11 sounds of cats and their meaning.
Animals that live in groups also warn others when they find food, identify the sounds of animals and rush to the banquet, however, some animals do not call the rest of the group until they have eaten enough, this happens, for example, in the case of the cappuccino monkey (Cebus sp.).
During the mating ritual, in addition to dancing, many birds sing, their songs are very elaborate and, although in the same species they are very similar, there are usually differences between individuals, that is, it is common for birds to learn new notes and customize their songs.
A very curious case is that of the superb lira bird (Menura novaehollandiae) that mimics the sound of other species of birds and even other sounds present in nature, such as a chainsaw; In addition, during the mating ritual, the male hits the branches of the plants with his leg, and thus marks the rhythm of his music and the eccentric dance with which he impresses the females.
In water, the most common types of communication between animals are sound and chemical signals.
Fish communicate basically through hormones in their urine, however, some of them are able to communicate with electrical signals, these fish have modified motor systems that, instead of generating movement, produce small electric shocks, such as brunette (Brachyhypopomus pinnicaudatus).), very common in the rivers of South America.
There is also no shortage of visual cues (crests, color patterns, etc.) with which fish attract individuals of the opposite sex.Another well-known visual sign is bioluminescence, the ability of some animals to produce light.Melanocetus johnsonii) has a kind of “fishing rod” in which many bioluminescent bacteria live.Small fish are attracted to light thinking they eat.However, they are.
The sounds of the most complex animals are undoubtedly found in the communication of dolphins, these mammals live in very complex societies and emit a vast repertoire of sounds, it is thought that they can exchange information in the same way as humans and that even have their own name.It’s definitely something similar to a form of language. However, this is still a very unknown and controversial topic, and many people say that we cannot speak animal language.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Curiosities section of the animal world.