Art, obsession, and identity
The mantis shrimp has extraordinary eyesight, with 16 color receptors (humans have three). They communicate using polarized light from their bodies that other animals cannot spot.
The caterpillar of the Alcon blue butterfly scrapes its abdomen to create a song. The song imitates that of the red ant queen, so those soldier ants that hear it will guard the caterpillar from predators.
Electric fish produce a mild electrical discharge to send out information, such as a male declaring its attraction to a female. When two of these meet, they tweak their wavelengths in order to allow each other to produce similar levels of voltage.
Researchers have found that gorillas will hum or sing while chomping down on their favorite vegetation. It's a way to convey that they would prefer not to be bothered while eating.
When these creatures use high-pitched squeaks, they're letting each other know what types of predators may be near, as well as their general location.
Rhinos have horrible eyesight, so instead, they use heaps of poo as a way to leave messages to each other. This is a way to warn if one is sick or a male is ready to mate.
Ravens use their beaks and wings to show or offer items such as moss, stones, or twigs to members of the opposite sex. This allows for potential bonding.
Despite popular belief, wolves do not howl at the moon. In reality, they howl to assemble the pack, usually before and after hunts.
Living in Southeast Asia, these big-eyed creatures communicate using ultrasound frequencies over 20,000 Hertz, which is believed to help them communicate over the jungle noise.
Spending their lives underground, these little creatures communicate with each other by thumping their heads against the tops of their tunnels, sending vibrations through the earth.
Known for their complex underground tunnel systems, they also have complex ways of calling to one another, using slightly different intonations depending on the type of predator.
Apes communicate in many ways, and researchers have discovered roughly 80 different types of gesture that significantly overlap with human toddlers.
Also known as Asiatic wild dogs, dholes alert each other about the location of prey through whistle sounds. This allows them to make coordinated attacks on other animals.
These majestic birds fan their feathers in an impressive visual display intended to communicate a territorial warning. However, it's only the males that do so.
When coral groupers feel threatened by a predator, they will dive deep into the cracks of the coral reefs and get some help from either a napoleon wrasse or a moray eel. It will point its nose in the direction of the predator, shaking its body. The wrasse will then smash against the coral to open it up, or the eel will creep into the cracks itself.
Elephants use low sounds to communicate with each other. It's more like a vibration that humans can't hear at all. Known as infrasound, researchers estimate that one elephant can be heard by another more than 175 miles (1.609 km) away.
These impressive creatures live in herds. When they seek to move on, they decide which way to go through the guidance of one of the members of the herd. A single bison will begin to walk in a particular direction without stopping. If the others trust the decision, they follow along.
Sperm whales use a clicking sound to convey information to one another. Those in different areas of the ocean use different clicking patterns, like a different regional accent.
Native to Madagascar, geckos simply nod their heads at treehoppers when they want food. This insect digests a sugary liquid known as honeydew, which they then transfer to the gecko.
The female warbling antbird won't tolerate other females making a move on her male mate. So in order to convey a message, she will interrupt the mating singing with an unpleasant tone that will sound unattractive to the other female.
Dolphins tend to slap their tails on the water to get the attention of others in the area. They also emit whistles while socially interacting, specifically if they have been separated from pod members.
Chimps love to groom and to be groomed, so seeing them scratch each other is super common. They can be very specific about where they want to be groomed and communicate this directly to the other chimps.
Deer use their scent to communicate with one another. They also flick their tails to warn other deer following them of possible dangers ahead.
This impressive bird does a sort of winged tap-dance to attract mates. Both male and female birds of this species court each other by holding a piece of nesting material in their beak while they bust a move.
When a bee is buzzing around we often worry that they're going to attack us. But most of the time, they're actually telling other bees they've found nectar by "dancing" when they return to the hive.
The Caribbean reef squid can change the color of its skin to convey a variety of messages. This is possible thanks to cells that contain pigments and light-reflecting molecules. Some of these messages serve to warn others of dangers or to attract a mate.
A cousin to ravens, this jackdaw will use its intense eye to glare at a potential competitor, warning the other bird against taking its nest or food.
Bats use high-pitched squeals to connect and communicate with each other. They do so for specific things like food, sleep positions, invasion of personal space, or unwanted advances.
Many snakes have the ability to sense infrared thermal radiation, which allows them to derive thermal images from the radiant heat emitted by predators or prey.
Sources: (Wonderpolis) (The Nature Education) (Khan Academy)
See also: The animals that sense disaster
While we all know that cats meow and dogs bark, have you ever wondered how other animals actually communicate? If you dive in deep, you will discover that animal communication is much more complex than you might have imagined. You will find that some creatures talk to each other, while others communicate through electricity or stomping.
Want to discover more? Then dive into some wildlife communication in the following slides.
Fascinating ways animals communicate
Discover the language of these creatures
LIFESTYLE Wildlife
While we all know that cats meow and dogs bark, have you ever wondered how other animals actually communicate? If you dive in deep, you will discover that animal communication is much more complex than you might have imagined. You will find that some creatures talk to each other, while others communicate through electricity or stomping.
Want to discover more? Then dive into some wildlife communication in the following slides.