Five Senses

1. Animals communicate in many surprising ways. Review the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Animals use each of these senses in their communication. For example:

Sight: Many male birds have bright feathers to attract females of their species.

Hearing: Many animals use calls, grunts, barks, and other noises to attract and repel each other.

Smell: Many animals, such as dogs and cats, spray or mark their territory in other ways using scent.

Touch: Animals use body language and different facial expressions to communicate, such as a cat arching its back.

Taste: Taste and smell work simultaneously. A rat without the sense of smell can’t find a mate or food. Without taste, the ability to smell is impaired as well. Animals use their sense of taste to determine if food is safe and desirable.