Sounds And Song By Animals At The Metro Toronto Zoo

Produced by Dr. Lawrence E. Licht, Animal Biologist, York University Cover art by Gillian Licht Thanks to Mr. T.W. Thompson, Zoo Director, for access to record at the Zoo Pavilions For further information write: 72 West Lynn Ave, Toronto, Ontario M4C 3W2 Included essay "Animal Communication": All animals have certain needs in order to survive. They must get food for energy and avoid being eaten themselves by other animals searching for food. When ready, each finds a mate and breeds, an activity which sustains the existence of its kind. Like human beings all animals live around others both alike and different from themselves. Animal communication takes place when one animal sends information to another, usually trying to influence its behaviour. The information sent is often related to their needs and may be about food or defense or breeding. What are the ways that animals communicate? For example, how do mammals, birds, or amphibians send messages to each other? There are several ways. Visual signals, those using sight, are very common. Two cats in the park communicate using bared fangs and raised fur. One cat can show hostility and may be defending its territory or stomping grounds. A young lion cub watches its mother hunt and by use of visual signals the mother teaches her offspring how to get its own food. Other types of communication between animals depend on smell (olfaction), or on touch (tactile) senses. Dogs will leave drops of urine on trees or fenceposts as a way of marking their presence in that area. Other dogs are able to smell the scent left by the first dog and so they gain the olfactory message that another dog has been there. Touch is used when individuals actually make physical contact with each other. A mother chimpanzee will put her arms around her young as a sign of comfort, letting the infant feel that it is safe and protected. Of course, touch can be hostile if one animal wants to communicate anger and threaten another by biting, scratching or kicking. One very important method of communication is carried out by sound (auditory) signals. Many animals, especially mammals and birds, but also frogs, fish and insects, are capable of hearing and of making sounds which contain information to be transmitted to others. The sounds may be actual vocalizations produced by vocal chords or syrinx. We all have heard birds singing, dogs barking, cats howling and toads calling. As well as these vocal sounds there are other types of animal sounds which transmit information, such as woodpeckers hammering on trees, grouse drumming their winds and insects rubbing their legs across their wings. By the use of sound signals of all types, especially vocalization, higher animals can communicate a great deal to each other. A young robin chirps when its parents are near, letting them know it wants food. A raccoon can growl in a way which immediately warns its family of danger. A male Whitecrown Sparrow sings from trees in its territory advertising its presence. Its song can attract females to its area as well as tell other male competitors to stay away. Between animals of the same species, sounds are very useful. To our human ear, however, these sounds may not mean what they do to the animals themselves. Each animal species which can produce songs or calls has its own language which we humans cannot speak. But we can appreciate the natural beauty of these sounds. The songs of some birds are so pleasant to hear that the finest musician would have loved to compose such melodies. In fact, much music has been inspired by birds and insects. On this record you will hear real instances of sound communication by animals in the Toronto Zoo's Indo-Malaysian and African Pavilions. As you listen to these sounds, enjoy them as music while knowing that in their own way, the animals making them are actually talking to each other.