Monday, 20 February 2012

DO ANIMALS COMMUNICATE? HOW? WHICH?





Animals don’t communicate the way humans do, such as talking, writing or sign language. All different animals have a special way of communicating to their own species and/or to other species of animals. In all animals their larynx isn’t as long as humans which cause them not to be able to talk like humans do. Although animals voice boxes are different to humans they still have a bit of control over the movement of it, making it prove that if speaking was down to anatomy all animals would be able talk to humans.

Since animals can’t talk through English language they use other things such as body language, sounds and smells. Numerous animals communicate by smell by discharging airborne chemicals called pheromones to send messages to each other.

There are three types of Insect and three types of Mammal Pheromones that all help animals communicate in altered ways. An Insect Pheromone, Alarm Pheromone response to danger or stress and is produced by animals like ants to other ants nearby to let them know they’re in trouble and need help. The Trail Pheromone is also used by ants but for a complete opposite reasoning. This Pheromone signal tells other ants nearby that there is food on its way to the nest. The last Insect Pheromone is Sexual Attractants which females use to release pheromones to attract the opposite sex.

The three Mammal Pheromones are Releaser Pheromone, Primer Pheromone and Information Pheromone. The Releaser Pheromone is used for specific behaviour such as animals, dogs in particular marking their territory and also a female rabbit releasing the scent enforces their young to immediately start nursing. Primes Pheromones for mammals are basically the same as the Sexual Attractants for insects, this Pheromone when released from a female at peak fertility cause a change in the endocrine system of the male receiving the scent and then the male displays increasing behaviour on the female. The final Mammal Pheromone being Information Pheromone scent is used to provide another animal of that animal’s identity, by smelling them they can tell things like what their level of health is, if they are in heat or their level of dominance. 

Pheromones are an important part for an animal’s reproduction and social behaviour, animals such as insects, wolves and deer’s all use Pheromones as their main source of communication.  





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