In The Secret Language of Animals Janine Benyus takes us inside the world of the animal kingdom and shows us the whys and the hows behind the behaviour of creatures great and small in their natural environments. It is divided geographically into five sections including Africa, Asia, North America, the oceans, and the poles. The book examines and describes the behaviour of twenty different animals: gorilla, lion, African elephant, plains zebra, black rhinoceros, giraffe, ostrich, greater flamingo, Nile crocodile, giant panda, peacock, Komodo monitor, bottlenose dolphin, California sea lion, gray wolf, bald eagle, sandhill crane, beluga whale, polar bear and Adelie penguin. For each animal, Benyus describes and explains basic behaviours (locomotion, feeding, drinking, bathing, grooming, sleeping), communication behaviour (greeting, social play, group defense, conflict, aggression/submission, fighting, courtship and copulation) and parenting behaviour (birth, care and feeding, teaching, communal care). More general chapters discuss the evolution of zoos and how they have now become mostly acceptable and often excellent places to observe the behaviour of animals in their natural environments, as well as topics such as adaptation, extinction, and what we can do to protect life on our planet for the long term.

Author Biography

Janine Benyus is a biologist, innovation consultant, and author of six books including Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. She is founder of The Biomimicry Institute whose mission is to nurture and grow a global community of people who are learning from, emulating, and conserving life's genius to create a healthier, more sustainable planet. Clients and partners in this endeavour include General Electric, Nike, Boeing, Proctor & Gamble, and many more. Benyus has received several awards including Time magazine's Heroes of the Environment award and the Rachel Carson Environmental Ethics Award. She lives in Missoula, Montana. Juan Carlos Barberis was the staff artist and illustrator for the Museum of Natural History in New York for 20 years.