How do Animals Communicate？动物是如何交流的？

If you’ve ever owned a dog or a cat，you know very well that animals cancommunicate. They understand the basicorders2 from you. Most pets fully understandwhat you mean when you say theword“treat3”.

Also， pets can clearly communicatesome basic messages to you. When they’rehungry or thirsty， they will let you know.A scratch4 on the door might mean“Ineed to go to the bathroom”. A couple oflicks5 might mean“I’m happy to see you”when you get home from school.

Since we know that animals can communicate，let’s talk about the interestingways different animals use to communicate.Just because they don’t speak the samelanguage you do doesn’t mean that animalsdon’t use their voices， though.

Many different types of animals usedifferent sounds to communicate. Hasyour dog ever barked to be let out of thehouse？ Maybe your cat has meowedwhen she’s hungry？ All you have to dois spending some time along in natureand keeping your ears open to heardifferent kinds of communication goingon around you. Although you can’t tellwhat the animals are saying， they’recertainly communicating with each otherand the world around them.

Sounds aren’t the only way animalscommunicate. Like us， they can communicatemessages in every way. For example，the wag of a dog’s tail6 can communicatefeelings and messages. Here aresome other interesting examples of bodycommunication among animals：

Many different types of animals usetheir scent7 as a clear message to tellothers to stay away from their territories8.

A dolphin may slap9 its tail on thewater to call others in the area.

Bees tell other bees when they’vefound nectar10 by“dancing”.

Deer flick11 their tails to make otherdeer following them know possibledangers.

Animals can certainly communicatewith other animals of the same species， butcan different species communicate witheach other？ Of course！

Have you ever seen a dog communicatewith a cat to let it stay away from itsterritory？ Maybe you’ve even get a motherbird’s message if you’ve come too close toher nest12！

Scientists have found many differenttypes of species communicating with eachother in many ways. One interesting ex -ample is the communication between spinytailed13 iguanas and paradise flycatchersin Madagascar. Even though theiguanas don’t communicate by sounds，they have good ears， so that they can hearthe calls of the paradise flycatcher. Thishelps both species keep themselves awayfrom their enemy14： the raptors15 that fliesin the skies over them！

如果你曾经养过狗或猫，你会很清楚，动物是可以交流的。它们能理解你发出的简单指令。当你说“奖励你吃的”时，大多数宠物都完全能理解你的意思。

同样，宠物可以清楚地向你传达一些简单信息。当它们饿了或渴了，它们会让你知道。在门上抓挠可能表示“我要去洗手间”；当你放学回家时，舔你几下可能表示“看到你我真高兴”。

既然我们知道动物可以交流了，那么就让我们来探索一下不同物种之间许多有趣的交流方式吧。然而，仅仅因为它们说的语言与人类说的不同，并不意味着动物不会使用它们的声音。

许多不同种类的动物使用不同的声音进行交流。你的狗有没有不停吠叫想出门溜达？也许你的猫饿了就会喵喵叫？你所要做的就是花一些时间亲近大自然，竖起你的耳朵听听周围发生的不同类型的交流。虽然你可能听不懂动物在说什么，但它们肯定在与彼此和周围的世界交流。

声音并不是动物交流的唯一方式。像我们一样，它们可以通过各种方式传达信息。例如，狗尾巴的摇晃可以表达情绪或传递信息。

这里还有一些动物之间进行肢体交流的其他有趣的例子：许多不同类型的动物使用气味发出明确的信息，告诉其他动物远离自己的地盘。

海豚可能会在水面上拍打尾巴，以呼唤该地区其他的海豚。

当蜜蜂找到了花蜜，它们通过“跳舞”告诉其他蜜蜂。

鹿甩动尾巴让跟随它们的其他鹿知道有潜在的危险。

动物当然可以与同一物种的其他动物交流，但不同的物种间可以相互交流吗？答案是肯定的！

你见过一只狗与一只猫交流，让猫远离自己的领地吗？如果你离鸟妈妈的巢太近，也许你甚至会看到它对你做出反应！

科学家们发现许多不同类型的物种以多种方式相互交流。一个有趣的例子是马达加斯加的刺尾鬣蜥和绶带鸟之间的交流。虽然鬣蜥不会通过声音进行交流，但它们有灵敏的耳朵，因此它们可以听到绶带鸟的叫声。这有助于这两个物种远离它们的敌人：在头顶上空飞行的猛禽！

（英语原文选自：wonderopolis.org）

Notes

1. communicate 交流；沟通；传递

communication 交流；沟通

2. order 命令；次序；以便

3. treat 美味的食物

4. scratch 抓；挠；刮擦

5. lick 舔

6. tail 尾巴

7. scent 气味；香味

8. territory 地盘；领地；领土

9. slap 拍打；用巴掌打

10. nectar 花蜜；果汁

11. flick 迅速地移动

12. nest" 鸟巢；巢穴

13. spiny-tailed 多刺的 spiny 多刺的

14. enemy 敌人

15. raptor 猛禽