Do animals identify eachother with names?

Question

...Like humans do?

Or no?

=]

Answer 1

I would say no, I think they identify eachother by scent.

Answer 2

No, animals do not identify each other with names, but rather scent, sound, and sight (in that order).

However if they did identify each other by name, I figure animals would have very long names, "I am Prince Sharpen Claws On Antiques," or "I am Lady Mindless Barker At Night."

Animals that spend a lot of time with humans, which in turn talk to their animals a lot, DO learn the names of other animals.

Example:  I'm moving, and just took my herd of about 100 goats up to our farm in another state.  My Mom is looking out for the herd.  There is one bottle baby goat, called "Baby." (original, I know)  

My Mom is introducing her three dogs to the goats, and teaching them to look, but not chase.  Of course the bottle baby comes right up amoung the dogs to have his bottle, so they have gotten to know "Baby" by name, sent, hearing, and sight.

One day Baby didn't come, and my Mom couldn't see him (it's a 40 acre pasture).  So she asked the dogs where Baby was, and to go find him.  The dogs went running off, into the herd of 100 goats, and searched, until they found Baby, and happily surrounded him, until my Mom arrived.

So animals in contact with humans who speak to them, will learn what the human calls another animal, but they do not identify each other that way.  

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Answer 3

No.  Animals don't do things like humans do.  Animals are not intelligent.

Answer 4

No, they either identify them as either things to eat or things to run away from

The other classification is "rocks"

Answer 5

No, they sniff eachothers' butts.  I never heard my dogs say "Woooohooo, Reggie!  Guess what!"

Answer 6

I think they identify each other by scent too. But they can learn to identify a name you are talking about. I have an elderly cat who can't stand the young stray cat I took in. Whenever I mention her name she looks afraid, because the younger cat makes her afraid and is aggressive and jealous of her. They all know who "mommy" is, probably because I've played around with them enough and trained them to respond to me with that name.

Answer 7

That depends on the animal.  Dolphins give themselves names.  They create a specific whistle that sounds unique and identify themselves with it.  If that's not a name then what is?  There are probably other examples humans haven't figured out yet.  Finally, who says a name has to be made of sounds?  Humans speak verbally so we think verbally.  Other animals rely more on different senses, as such their names may be "spoken" in scent, or color, or touch.

Edit:  This is not to say all animals have personal names.  It's just a distinct possibility in animals that have proven to be self aware, like elephants, chimpanzees, and dolphins have.  Ultimately, if you want to learn about animal cognition, you have to think outside of the human box.  While it is true non human animals do not think or speak in the same ways humans do, that does not mean they do not think or speak at all.  To say otherwise in the face of contradicting evidence is to cling desperately to the need to feel special as a species.