Wild Things: Life as We Know It
Honeyeater birds, sea slugs, tree frogs, and more
![horse-neighing-631.jpg](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/v_S19rya7wv2YMUchLH1LEQyn5o=/1000x750/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/horse-neighing-631.jpg)
On Their Own
![Hawaii Oo](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/5zk2GKo7PiIWCZb95go2IK45zH0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Hawaiian-birds-520.jpg)
Green Energy
![sea slug](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/N4cd_6A6B-syTjn_8KKEv6WtsMs=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/sea-slug-520.jpg)
It's A Bird! It's A Plane! It's A Frog?
![tree frog](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/G5kv3WecF__U63HfYrLXnboLtRk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Ecnomiohyla-rabborum-520.jpg)
Gourds on the Go
![Cucumbers](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/Tck_FRVKwQjKowU39SYbD1UcTyc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/Cucurbitaceae-Persian-Cucumbers-520.jpg)
Observed
![horse neighing](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/Vw6s1vd0gstSbtnt9itSYQ8hbKk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/horse-neighing-520.jpg)
Runs With: The herd.
Recognizes: Individuals within the herd.
Unexpected Talent: Listening. In a new study, University of Sussex researchers presented a test horse with a herd mate, led the herd mate out of sight and then played a recording of a horse neighing. If it wasn't the herd mate's call, the test animal could tell—it looked fixedly in the direction of the sound, presumably surprised. It's the first demonstration of "cross-modal" recognition in animals; they identify each other by both sight and sound.