Animal Talk: Breaking the Codes of Animal LanguageIf animal behavior is mostly instinctual, why do animals need to communicate? Is it possible that there is a universal language spoken and understood by all animals on earth, including humans? Do barks, growls, rumbles, chirps, yips, and meows have communicative meanings? "No matter what species," writes acclaimed science journalist Tim Friend, "we're all concerned with the same topics of conversation -- sex, real estate, who's boss, and what's for dinner." In Animal Talk, Friend draws upon years of field research, interviews with preeminent scientists, and lively personal anecdotes to find out how our animal neighbors communicate and what their languages mean. From bird calls to whale songs, laughing hyenas to rattling snakes, an elephant cry in the jungle to the bark of a Chihuahua in his own backyard, Friend tells the grand story of animal communication through the sounds, stripes, scents, and signals of the animals themselves. |
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ability adults aggressive alarm calls albatrosses animal behavior animal communication appear attract mates bacteria Bottlenose Dolphins bower bowerbird Bradbury brain chemical signals chimpanzees Clever Hans colors complex courtship creatures dance developed discovered display dominant male duets elephant emotions evolution evolutionary evolved feathers feet fireflies fish frequency genetic genomes gestures growl Hoover howler human language humpback whales infants insects Jack Bradbury Kanzi killer whales live low-frequency sounds males and females mammals and birds marine mammals MHC genes monkeys Morgan's canon Morton mothers natural selection neighbors nest nonverbal communication ocean offspring other's pheromones play predators prey primates rain forest raven response sage grouse says scientists seals sense sexual selection signature whistles similar sing smell social songbirds songs sound waves sparrow squirrel tail territory tion tree turf Tyack types University vervets visual signals vocal vocal learning vocal signals voice whale songs wild women young