Animal communication
How tweet it isÉBirds and humans aren’t
nature’s only singers. The record
Songs of the Humpback Whale
became a hit in the 1970s,
showcasing their complex calls.
Recently, scientists have
confirmed that some male mice
perform songs to attract female
mice, but in a frequency beyond
human hearing.Animals often sing to show off
to mates or alert others about
predators. But some researchers
believe singing itself may give
them pleasure, in the same way
as in humans, by affecting the
brain’s dopamine receptors.
Turn the page for more about
a symphony composed specially
with animals in mind...‘The interaction
between humans
and honeyguides
is likely to be very
ancient, probably
something in the
order of hundreds
of thousands
of years’
CREATURES SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNEMain picture: the calls of Japanese
tits are particularly expressive
Top left: the honeyguide, which
shows people where wild bee
nests are hidden – especially
if they ‘talk’ to it