Rogers, Lesley J. & Kaplan, Gisela. Songs, roars, and rituals; communication in birds, mammals, and other animals - Brief Article - Young Adult Review - Book Review

Harvard Univ. Press. 207p. notes. index. c1998. 0-674-00627-8. $16.95. SA

Anyone who has ever had a dog drop his leash in front of them, or a cat leap into a lap at dinner time, knows that animals can communicate. Less obvious are such things as non-vocal communication among birds, tactile signals in mammals (including grooming, embracing and even a kind of kissing) and chemical releases by fish. Such examples make for pleasant, interesting reading. None of the numerous examples or species is discussed in depth, as this is an introductory text, but the tone remains professional. "Lemurs (Lemur catta) make use of the scent glands on their wrists, which they rub on their long, striped tails for olfactory communication. Alison Jolly has described "stink fights" in which a number of animals gather together on the ground with their tails raised and "throw" odors at each other by moving around and waving their tales back and forth over their heads."

Beyond separate chapters on birds and mammals, there is specific coverage on learning to communicate, the evolution of communication, whether signaling is intentional or not and one human-animal contacts. Rogers and Kaplan are both full professors at the University of New England in Australia. This engaging work will be appropriate for high school seniors and lower level undergraduate science programs and collections.

Katherine E. Gillen, Libn., Luke AFB Lib., AZ

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kliatt
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group