Animals can pass on all sorts of messages using touch, smells, and sounds, or visual signals, such as light, colour, and body language. Some signs are clear, like a gorilla smiling at her baby, or subtle, such as female wolf spider leaving a trial of silk woven with her scent to lure males.
Polar bears in the vast Arctic wilderness won't bump into each other by accident, they need to leave behind a trail of smells.
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| Image by IngoMoringo from Pixabay |
Reasons to communicate
- Make an impression
Wolves howl to declare their territory, to call each other , and show they are part of a pack.
- Find a mate
Polar bears in the vast Arctic wilderness won't bump into each other by accident, they need to leave behind a trail of smells.
- Defend your territory
Tigers urinate on trees to mark their territory and avoid competition.
- Warn of danger
Prairie dogs have a range of warning calls to tell others what the theat is, and how fast it's approaching.
- Care for young
A chick taps its parent's beak to say "Feed me! "
- Intimidate opponents
A male gorilla beats its chest to show how big and strong it is
How to read the signs
- Feel threatened if a hippopotamus yawns to show off its teeth.
- Get even more worried if it splashes or scoops the water to add to the effect.
- If you notice the hippo is shaking its head, lunging forward and then rearing back, prepare to flee.
- When you roaring and grunting it is time to run away!
Keeping in touch
- Touch is used by social animals, such as ants, spiders and crabs, and especially mammals and birds that care for their young.
- Bugs vibrate plants to communicate with other bugs, burrowing animals make the vibrate, while alligators produce a deep sound that can travel more than a kilometre in still waters.
- Licking and grooming keeps a mammals family clean, but also shows affection.
- Scout honey-bees perform a complicated "waggle dance" to direct other members of the hive to a good patch of flowers. Wing vibrations pass on the message even in the dark.
Highs and lows
Sounds are pressure waves travelling through the air, When they disturb air particles close to us, the vibrations are picked up by ears and translated back into sound. These vibration are measured in Hertz (Hz). 1 Hz is one vibration in a second. The more vibrations there are, the higher the sound.
- elephants rumble at 8 Hz
- humans ears hear sounds from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
- dogs can hear sounds up to 45,000 Hz
- dolphins communicate with sounds well over 100,000 Hz
- months can hear sounds as high as 240,000 Hz
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