CAN ANIMALS RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER?

 CAN ANIMALS RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER?

Apes are supposed to be among the most intelligent of animals, yet they have no better "language" than other animals. They make many sounds and expressions of the face to communicate their feelings of anger or hunger or joy, but they have nothing like the words of human speech. Unlike human beings who have to learn how to talk, apes and other animals know their "language" by instinct. They will make the right kind of cries and sounds and expressions even if they have never seen another animal like themselves before.

Animals speak with each other, that is, pass on certain messages by signs and sounds that appear to be true. If we mean, can they talk to each other as we do, the answer is no.

In human beings, all communication is not using words. We have expressions to indicate anger, a shrug of the shoulder to indicate indifference, nodding and shaking the head, gestures with hands, and so on. Many animals make noises and signs to do the same thing.

When a mother hen makes a loud noise or crouches down, all her chicks understand this as a warning of danger. When a horse neighs or paws the ground, the other horses "get the message." Some animals can follow very slight signs or signals given by other animals. When a bird merely flies up to a branch to look around, the other birds don't move. But if a bird flies up in a certain way, they can tell it's about to fly off and they may follow.

Dogs communicate in many ways. They not only bark, but they howl, growl, snarl, and whine. They lift a paw or bare their teeth. Other dogs can understand what these sounds and actions mean.

Animals communicate with each other not only with sounds and movements but with smell. Most animals that live in herds depend on their smell to keep together. And, of course, we know how dogs recognize each other by smell.

Birds learn their way of singing, at least in part. That's why a sparrow brought up among canaries will try to sing like one. It has been learning the wrong "language"!

The sound of wolves howling in the night for 10 hours is a frightening sound for some, calming for others. The wolf sounds are isolated, so there are no other background sounds here, just pure wolf howling. Great to scare away other pesky animals.