What are the forms of animal communication?

Smell is probably the most common basic means of animal communication. Even the most primitive animals react to odours given off by their own, or other species.Animals may use scents, to mark out territorial boundaries, to attract mates, to warn off intruders and predators or, in some cases, to attract prey. Animals of all kinds rely to a great extent on their hearing ability in order to succeed and survive, and this is called acoustic communication. Among mammals, generally speaking, small animals squeak, and large ones rumble. The acoustic communication signal most frequently heard by humans is, of course, bird song. The largest of all animals, the whales, appear to be experts in the art of communication by sound, with each whale of the same species having its own favourite ‘songs’ which it repeats at intervals.Visual signals may take the form of gestures and displays, facial grimaces, body posture or mimicry. Each species has its own way of using its facial expressions, body language, gestures and body markings to communicate effectively.At another level, animals may communicate a simple message through the art of mimicry. The markings on the wings of the peacock butterfly look like large eyes to frighten off its enemies. The same is true of the harmless hoverfly that resembles the wasp.