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Animal Dialects
Name: Jacqueline O.
Status: educator
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2/13/2004
Question:
We have been studying animals senses and would like to
know if wolves or any other animal have different dialects because of the
area they live? Such as a wolf from Russia can it communicate with a
wolf from Spain?
Replies:
I am not familiar enough with mammal communication to answer about wolves,
but I do know that birds definitely have regional dialects, some of which
have been extensively studied. Some birds, like song sparrows, can
apparantly even recognize individuals by voice. My guess is that regional
dialects would always be recognized as of an animal's own species. Beyond
that I can't say. An early detailed study, versions of which are still
available from Dover publications, was Donold J. Borror, Bird Song and
Behavior. Another reference is Charles Hartshorn, Born to Sing. There has
been a lot of research on sound communication in marine mammals, and there
are recordings available of mammal sounds, but I am not familiar with
research specifically on dialects of mammals.
J. Elliott
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