Watch video clips from past programmes (61 clips)

Acoustic communication

Acoustic communication is the sending and receiving of messages using sound. Bird song, the roars of lions and the chirping of cicadas are all examples of this. Sometimes the messages are outside the range of human hearing, such as the ultrasonic squeaks of baby rats or the infrasound rumbles of elephants. Most acoustic communication is not language, in the sense that humans use it, although language is one aspect of this adaptation.

Watch video clips from past programmes (61 clips)

Spooky monkeys  

The Dark: Nature's Nighttime World

The eerie sounds of a howler monkey's alarm call means there is something in the trees.

Badger communication  

The Burrowers: Animals Underground

Badgers have bad eyesight but they make up for it with their other senses, such as smell.

Talking to the animals  

Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild

David Attenborough uses a variety of communication methods to talk to animals in the wild.

Spooky monkeys  

The Dark: Nature's Nighttime World

The eerie sounds of a howler monkey's alarm call means there is something in the trees.

Calling pack  

Land of the Lost Wolves

Several wolves return expert Isaac Babcock's call, proving there is a new pack.