Like humans, chimpanzees communicate in many ways. They can communicate a message in the way they hold their bodies or reach out to each other. They can communicate in the faces they make, and in how they touch each other. And, of course they communicate through sounds and calls.
Jane’s study of chimpanzees at Gombe National Park helped scientists understand much more about chimpanzee calls. There are intraparty calls, or calls among chimps that are in a group together, and distance calls, which are made between groups that are separated, sometimes over a great distance.
Below are some calls that chimpanzees make and the emotions that go with them (requires the Quicktime Player).
|Food grunt or food "aaa" call||Food enjoyment|
|Crying||Rage or distress|
Did You Know?
Each individual chimp has his or her own distinct pant-hoot. This means that other chimpanzees can tell who is making the call even if they can't see him or her. Click here to listen to more calls!
Do you have a dog or cat at home? See if you can notice the different barks or meows your pet makes. Does your dog bark one way when he or she wants to go outside and another way when the doorbell rings? Does your cat make one meow to ask for petting and another when you're filling the cat dish?