* Communication is important. *

Animals all communicate a little differently..

Bees dance when they have found nectar. (The scout bee will dance in the hive, and the dance directs other bees to the location of the nectar.)

Chimpanzees greet each other by touching hands.

Male fiddler crabs wave their giant claw to attract female fiddler crabs.

White-tailed deer show alarm by flicking up their tails.

Dogs stretch their front legs out in front of them and lower their bodies when they want to play.

Elephants show affection by entwining their trunks.

Giraffes press their necks together when they are attracted to each other.

Gorillas stick out their tongues to show anger.

Kangaroos thump their hind legs to warn others of danger.

Prairie dogs bare their teeth and press their mouths together to discover if they are friends or foes.

Whales leap out of the water repeatedly to send messages to other whales.

Swans entwine their long necks both to fight and to court.

Horses rub noses as a sign of affection.

And what do two adult males do to communicate? Let me tell you a story.

The other night Bob and I were getting out of the car to go in the house, when a guy down the street locks his car by pressing his key fob and making his car honk.

Just then Bob does the same thing with our car to lock it. The guy down the street stops walking, looks at us, presses his button and honks the horn once again. Causing Bob to stop, look at him, press our button and honk our horn again.

(By this point I have stopped along with the males and am looking back and forth at them in disbelief. Was this actually happening?)

It was the funniest thing, we were all laughing, but we were so far away from the guy (that we didn't know) it's not like we could have a conversation. So he honks his horn again, then Bob, then him, then Bob. I am laughing and edging towards the house. Then he gives one more honk and goes into his apartment, so Bob hurries and honks our horn once more and goes inside. What do we hear two seconds later? That's right. Honk.

So there you have it. Like geese, human males communicate much the same way. Or at least that's what it seems from my brief studies the other night. Bob says girls communicate in high pitched voices while hugging each other profusely.

(Info on how animals communicate from an excerpt in The End of Stress as We Know It)