# data[].attributes.body
How do animals communicate with each other

# data[].attributes.body
Article Notes

# data[].attributes.body
This source is credible because:

- Multiple sites give similar information
- States the author in comments - National Center for Families Learning (said by Wonderopolis itself)
- It is a trusted website that my teacher recommends

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many of our Wonder Friends have WONDERed about how animals communicate . We thought that was a great question. So we conducted a focus group with a large sample of the population of Wonderopolis, and here's what we learned:

98% of the animals in Wonderopolis use a smartphone as their primary means of communication.

Only 2% of the animals in Wonderopolis still use a land line telephone.

Over 75% of the animals in Wonderopolis prefer to send text messages instead of talking on the phone.

Of course, the animals in Wonderopolis tend to be a bit more advanced than the animals you might on a day-to-day basis. So let's take a closer look at how some of the animals on Earth communicate .

If you've ever owned a dog or a cat, you know very well that animals can communicate . They understand commands that you give them. Most pets fully understand what you mean when you say the word "treat."

Likewise, pets can clearly communicate some messages to you. When they're or , they will let you know. A scratch on the door might mean "I need to potty." A couple of licks might mean "I'm happy to see you" when you get home from school.

Since we know that animals can communicate , let's explore the many interesting ways different use to communicate . Just because they don't speak the same language you do doesn't mean that animals don't use their voices, though.

Many different types of animals use a range of sounds to communicate . Has your dog ever barked to be let out of the house? Perhaps your cat has meowed when she's ? All you have to do is spend some time along in nature and keep your ears open to hear the wide variety of communication going on around you.

Whales sing, wolves howl, birds tweet and chirp, and frogs croak. Although you probably can't tell what they're saying, they're certainly communicating with each other and the world around them.

Sounds aren't the only way animals communicate . Like human beings, they can convey messages in all sorts of ways. For example, the wag of a dog's tail can indicate a wide variety of emotions and messages. Here are some other interesting examples of communication among animals:

Peacocks can fan their feathers in an impressive visual display intended to communicate a territorial warning.

Many different types of animals mark their territories with their scent as a clear to others to stay away.

A dolphin may slap its tail on the water to get the attention of others in the area.

Bees tell other bees when they've found nectar by "dancing" when they return to the hive.

Deer flick their tails to warn other deer following them of possible dangers ahead.

Animals can obviously communicate with other like animals of the same , but can different communicate with each other? Absolutely!

Have you ever seen a dog communicate with a cat to let it know that it's not wanted in its ? Perhaps you've even been the target of a mother bird's communication if you've accidentally stepped to close to her nest!

Scientists have observed many different types of communicating with each other in a variety of ways. One interesting example is the communication between spiny-tailed iguanas and paradise flycatchers in Madagascar. Even though the iguanas don't communicate vocally, they have developed well-tuned ears, so that they can hear the warning calls of the paradise flycatcher. This helps both avoid being hunted by a common enemy: the raptors that patrol the skies above them!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many of our Wonder Friends have WONDERed about how animals communicate . We thought that was a great question. So we conducted a focus group with a large sample of the population of Wonderopolis, and here's what we learned: 98% of the animals in Wonderopolis use a smartphone as their primary means of communication.

# data[].attributes.body
This source is credible because:

- Lists author name on the top (Jessica Toothman)
-  Sources cited below
- a few sites give me similar information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Animals might not be able to speak or master advanced language techniques, but they certainly have other ways of communicating. Whale song, wolf howls, frog croaks, bird chips -- even the waggle dance of the honeybee or the vigorous waving of a dog's tail -- are among the panoply of ways animals transmit information to each other and to other denizens of the animal kingdom.

Species often rely on verbal and nonverbal forms of communication, such as calls; non-vocal auditory outbursts, like the slap of a dolphin's tail on the water; bioluminescence; scent marking; chemical or tactile cues; visual signals and postural gestures. Fireflies and peacocks are classic examples of brilliant bioluminescence and impressive visual displays, respectively. Ants use chemical cues (in a process called chemoreception) to help guide their foraging adventures, as well as for other activities like telling friend from foe, connecting with new mates and marshalling the colony's defenses.

When it comes to acoustic communication, not every member of a species is just alike. Animals in different regions have often been overhead sounding off in different dialects. For example, one study found that blue whales produce different patterns of pulses, tones and pitches depending on where they're from. Some bird species are the same way. And what about those birds that live on the border between territories of differing songsters? They often become bilingual, so to speak, and able to communicate in the singing parlance favored by each of their groups of neighbors.

Communication between species can play important roles as well. One study suggested that the reason Madagascan spiny-tailed iguanas have well-developed ears -- despite the fact that they don't communicate vocally -- is so they can hear the warning calls of the Madagascan paradise flycatcher. The two species have nothing in common except for the fact that they share a general habitat and raptors like to snack on them. So when an iguana hears a bird raise the alarm among other birds, it likely knows to be on alert for incoming predators, too.

However, as noise pollution interferes with animal communiqués all across the globe, many animals' ability to communicate effectively comes under fire. Increased shipping traffic over the last century has dramatically affected the transfer of whale song around the ocean basin. Studies have found that songbirds, too, suffer from noisy (albeit terrestrial) urban environs. Some species have had to modify their singing styles, producing songs that are louder and shriller, in order to be heard above the clamor. Pumped up volume usually leads to simpler and somewhat inferior styles of singing that female birds seem to find decidedly less sexy.

For more information on all things animal, visit the links on the next page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
All animals might not be able to speak, but they certainly have other ways of communicating. How do animals pass on information to their own species, and how do they pick up cues from other members of the animal kingdom?

# data[].attributes.body
This source is credible because:

-Trusted website by many people
- Multiple sources with similar information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Animal communication (article) | Ecology | Khan Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how animals communicate with visual, sound, touch, and chemical signals.