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Animals communicate in numerous ways. Usually, when animals communicate, the receiver of the communication responds by changing its behaviour. Communication can use any one or more of the senses including vision, hearing, smell and taste, touch, and electric senses. ‘Signals for survival’ explains that across the animal kingdom, signals within a species are generally honest. Cheating is pointless when the benefits from a signal are mutual, but broadcast signals can be eavesdropped by other species. Communication is risky when a signal appears to be from a potential mate, but is instead being made by a deceptive predator. Interspecies communication is also discussed, along with details of honeybee dances and vervet monkey alarm calls. ...Less

Learning is an animal’s capacity to change behaviour, as the result of individual experience, so that it is better adapted to the animal’s physical and social environments. Learning helps to fine-tune behaviour in flexible ways that would be difficult to encode genetically. It is an inherent property of nervous systems in even the simplest animals. Memory is an animal’s capacity to retain learned information to influence future behaviour. ‘Learning and animal culture’ discusses both classical and operant conditioning; innate responses that do not require learning; social learning, which across generations leads to cultural traditions; and the use of tools, which is now known not to be a uniquely human ability. ...Less

Our behaviour as humans has profound effects on the lives of other animals. ‘Applying behaviour’ explores some of the ways that we can use an understanding of animal behaviour to reduce our conflict with animals as we compete with them for food and space in the global environment. A better understanding of animal behaviour—including mating systems, imprinting, migration, and interactions with other species—can be an important part of attempts to conserve endangered animals. We can also attempt to make life better for our domesticated animals. Every way of studying animal behaviour—from neuroscience, development, learning, to behavioural ecology—can play a part. ...Less