Alarm signal: Difference between revisions

{{redirect2|Alarm call|Alarmer|the Björk song|Alarm Call|the shoulder dystocia mnemonic|ALARMER}}

[[Image:Spermophilus beldingi.jpg|right|thumb|Alarm calls have been studied in many species, such as [[Belding's ground squirrel]]s.]]

In [[animal communication]], an '''alarm signal''' is an [[antipredator adaptation]] in the form of [[Signalling theory|signal]]s emitted by social animals in response to danger. Many [[primate]]s and [[bird]]s have elaborate '''alarm calls''' for warning [[Biological specificity|conspecifics]] of approaching predators. For example, the alarm call of the [[Common blackbird|blackbird]] is a familiar sound in many gardens. Other animals, like fish and insects, may use non-auditory signals, such as [[Schreckstoff|chemical messages]]. Visual signs such as the white tail flashes of many deer have been suggested as alarm signals; they are less likely to be received by conspecifics, so have tended to be treated as a signal to the [[predator]] instead.