how animals communicate

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 3 August 2021
Update Date: 1 November 2024
Anonim
How Animals Communicate
Video: How Animals Communicate

Content

When we talk about communication between animals, we are referring to the transmission of information from one animal to another, causing an action or change in the receiver of the 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 fundamental role in communication. This implies that some animals have great capacity for memorization. Want to know more? In this article by PeritoAnimal, we show curious examples of different types of communication between them.

how animals communicate

Sometimes the following 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 that is transmitted. They can be visual, chemical (hormonal), tactile, auditory (animal sounds) or even electrical. Let's see below some of the main types of animal communication:


Visual communication between animals

Visual communication is very common in the bird world. Males usually have a more striking coloring than females, which serves to get their attention during the mating ritual. On many occasions, this ritual is based on an elaborate dance, through which they demonstrate to the female their good health and their commitment to the offspring. An example is the males of the species Ceratopipra mentalis, who impress their females thanks to a dance step very similar to Michael Jackson's "Moonwalk".

Some insects, like monarch butterflies, have a very striking color. Your patterns of designs and colors indicate to predators that they are not good food, that is, are toxic or taste very bad. The fire frog (Bombina orientalis) also uses this technique. As the name implies, this frog's belly is red. When a predator approaches, it shows its abdomen and warns predators that there will be reprisals if they decide to eat it.


How animals communicate chemically

Chemical communication is one of the most unknown, but it is very important in the animal kingdom. The most curious examples are found in the group of social insects. For example, the communication of bees is based on secreting several chemical substances known as pheromones. Thanks to them, they manage to inform the rest of the hive about the presence of a danger or about the flowers from which they extracted the nectar.

The queen bee also controls the workers thanks to the secretion of a special pheromone that prevents them from reproducing. That's why the queen is the only bee capable of laying eggs. Exactly the same thing happens in the ants, who use pheromones to tell the rest of the colony which way to go to get to the food. That's why we always see them walking in lines.


tactile communication between animals

As for tactile communication, it can be easily observed in monkeys such as chimpanzees. These animals clean from each other, removing its parasites. This behavior allows them to strengthen their relationship. You may also have noticed that dogs show their love through licking, as you can see in this other article on why do dogs lick?, and ask us with their paws for showings of affection.

animal sounds

In relation to animal sounds, this is a very complex world. In many cases, it has been stated that language is not characteristic of human beings, and that we can also talk about the existence of animal language. However, there is a lot of debate about this. So that you can form your own opinion, let's look at some examples.

alarm calls

A much-studied type of communication between animals is alarm calls. It is the sounds of animals that indicate the presence of a predator. As a result, the group can stay safe. In many species, the alarm call is different depending on the predator. For example, the Cercopithecus aethiops is a monkey that presents different alarm calls to indicate the presence of cheetahs, eagles or snakes.

On the other hand, one of the most surprising animals, capable of emitting different sounds of alarm or danger, is the cat. Find out in this other article, the 11 sounds of cats and their meaning.

food notice

Animals that live in a group also warn others when they find food. They identify the sounds of animals and rush to the feast. However, some animals don't call the rest of the group until they've eaten enough. This happens, for example, in the case of the capuchin monkey (Cebus sp.).

Animal Sounds in Mating Rituals

During the mating ritual, in addition to dancing, many birds sing. Their songs are very elaborate and although within the same species they are very similar, there are often differences between individuals. That is, it is common for birds to learn new notes and customize your songs.

A very curious case is that of the superb lyre bird (Menura novaehollandiae) which imitates the sound of other species of birds and even other sounds present in nature, such as a chainsaw. Also, during the mating ritual, the male hits the branches of plants with his leg, and thus, he sets the rhythm of his music and the eccentric dance with which he impresses the females.

How animals communicate in water

In water, the most frequent types of communication between animals are sound and chemical signals.

how fish communicate

Fish communicate, fundamentally, thanks to the hormones present in your urine. However, some of them are able to communicate using electrical signals. These fish have modified motor systems that, instead of generating movement, produce small electrical shocks. An example is the morenita (Brachyhypopomus pinnicaudatus), very common in the rivers of South America.

There is also no lack of visual cues (crests, color patterns, etc.) with which fish attract individuals of the opposite sex. Another very famous visual sign is bioluminescence, that is, the ability of some animals to produce light. The Black Devilfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) has a kind of "fishing rod" on which many bioluminescent bacteria live. Smaller fish are attracted to the light thinking it is food. However, they are who they are.

how dolphins communicate

The most complex animal sounds are undoubtedly found in dolphin communication. These mammals live in very complex societies and emit a huge repertoire of sounds. it is believed that they can exchange information in a similar way to human beings. and that they even have their own names. It is, without a doubt, something akin to a form of language. However, it is still a very unknown and controversial issue, and many people argue that we cannot say that there is a language of animals.

If you want to read more articles similar to how animals communicate, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.