Vervet Monkey Alarm Calls: Do Animals Have Words for Danger?
A monkey hears a warning call and races toward a tree. Moments later, another alarm sends it scanning the sky. A third sound makes it look toward the ground. The …
Animal Communication
Deer Body Language: 6 Signals That Reveal How Deer Communicate
A white-tailed deer standing quietly at the edge of a woodland may appear perfectly still, yet its ears, eyes, tail, and posture can reveal a great deal about its surroundings. …
Why Cats Purr: What the Sound Means and When to Look at Body Language
A cat can purr while curled up comfortably on your lap—and sometimes while sitting nervously in a veterinarian’s examination room. It is the same familiar rumbling sound, but the emotions …
Peacock Spider Courtship: Color, Vibration and Dance
At a scale of only a few millimeters, a male peacock spider approaches a female. He raises his elongated third pair of legs, elevates his brilliantly patterned abdomen, and begins …
Greater Honeyguide Human Cooperation: How Birds Lead People to Honey
In a dry woodland in southeastern Africa, a honey hunter produces a distinctive rolling call. From somewhere among the trees, a greater honeyguide answers. The person calls again, the bird …
Prairie Dog Alarm Calls Are More Complex Than a Simple Warning
A black-tailed prairie dog stands upright beside its burrow, watching movement across the grassland. A potential predator is approaching. Seconds later, a sharp vocalization carries through the colony, and nearby …