We know that only a small percentage of what we understand comes from words. Communication is also key to successful courtship and reproduction. Here are a few of our favorite fascinating ways that animals communicate with each other:. The bees used this dance-like movement to inform other bees of the direction and distance to important food sources. During the dance, other bees touched its abdomen. This communicated to the other bees where find the food without having to be shown.
The direction and speed of the dance indicated specific geolocation details. This male Australian peacock spider Maratus volans displays his vibrant colors in a bold courtship dance. The peacock spider, for example, drums out a kicking beat with his legs.
When he has the attention of nearby lady spiders, he does a dance with the hope of impressing a special someone. If successful, the female will start to dance in return. The male and female grebes attempt to synchronize their movements. If and when they do sync up, they then run on water together for up to 20 seconds. But perhaps the most famous bird dancers are birds-of-paradise, most of which are found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia.
A male six-plumed bird-of-paradise will first tidy up his home to make it more presentable. Many cephalopods change color to communicate.
When one squid changes color to threaten another, it can initiate a vividly colorful stand-off. The two whirl their way through chromatic displays until one decides to back off.
