No?

Think again!

There are three main types of animal communication, and they all happen for different reasons.

Communication Between Animals of the Same Species

Defending Territory and Attracting a Mate Many animals are communicative.

Hippos, for example, communicate underwater and on land, but mostly they communicate underwater,

by making noises called grunts and bellows.

On land, the volume of their bellows can reach 115 decibels.

That's as loud as thunder or a jet plane!

They communicate with each other to defend their territory, which is their own space.

Hippos bellow when they fight other

Food Honeybees do a special kind of dance called

the waggle dance when they find nectar, water, or pollen.

The dance is like a map of their journey.

The dance helps other bees locate the nectar, water, or pollen.

Danger!

Most animals have predators that want to kill and eat them.

Lions, cheetahs, and eagles prey on vervet monkeys, so the monkeys have alarm signals

for each predator.

Rabbits thump their powerful back paws on the ground to warn other rabbits of danger.

Beavers slap their tails hard against the water to scare away any foxes and alligators

that approach.

Warning!

Predators threaten their prey, so what animals need is a warning sign.

Rattlesnakes have a rattle on the end of their bodies that they shake when they feel threatened.

The loud noise scares away predators.

Similarly, wolves growl and show their teeth to warn enemies that they will fight.

Food A type of lizard, called a gecko, and an insect,

called a treehopper cooperate with each other.

They both eat honeydew, a sweet, sticky liquid that trees produce.

The gecko sees the treehopper vibrating its stomach, so it knows that the treehopper is

eating honeydew.

The gecko shakes its head to indicate to the treehopper that it wants honeydew.

The treehopper throws honeydew toward the gecko, which catches it in its mouth.

Why does the hopper behave like this?

It's possible that the gecko protects the hopper from

Dolphins, apes, and parrots are the animals that have communicated the most with humans.

A famous bonobo ape, Kanzi, was the first non-human to learn language the way a child

does, by listening and observing.

A scientist said that Kanzi had learned 450 words using a keyboard.

He also told us that Kanzi was learning new things every day.

Alex was a grey parrot who, like most parrots, could imitate words, but he could also identify

objects, colors, and shapes.

He died when he was 31.

His last words to his trainer, Dr. Pepperberg, were: "You be good.

I love you."

Dr. Pepperberg said Alex had started to learn the alphabet.

Every time Alex got a letter right, he told Dr. Pepperberg that he wanted a nut!