Do animals communicate?

　　When we think of communication, we normally think of using words－talking face to face, writing messages and so on．But the fact is that we communicate far more in other ways．Our eyes and facial expressions usually tell the truth even when our words do not．

　　Then there are gestures, often unconscious(无意识的)：raising the eyebrows, rubbing the nose, raising the shoulders, tapping the fingers, nodding and shaking the head．There is also the even more subtle(微妙的) body language of posture(姿势)：are you sitting or standing with arms or legs crossed? Is that person standing with hands in pockets, held in front of the body or hidden behind? Even the way we dress and the colors we wear communicate things to others．

　　So, do animals communicate? Not in words, although a parrot might be trained to repeat words and phrases which it doesn't understand．But, as we have learnt, there is more to communicate than words．

　　Take dogs for example, they show their teeth to warn, shake their tails to welcome and stand firm, with hair up right to fight．These signals are surely the equals of the human body language of facial expression, gesture and posture．

　　Color can be an important means of communication for animals．Many birds and fishes change color, for example, to attract partners during the mating(交配) season．And mating itself is commonly done after a special dance which both partners take part in．

　　Here, again, there are striking similarities to young men and women who dress up to meet partners at parties, where the music is often too loud for word　communication．Communication there takes place through appearance and movement．

　　The most carefully planned dances in the animal kingdom are those which bees use to communicate．With body movements alone they can tell other bees the direction and distance of a newly discovered food．

　　All these examples may suggest instinctive (本能的) rather than intelligent communication．But human body language is largely instinctive, too．And in many ways, body language says far more than intelligent word communication ever can．

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