Sometimes we all want so much that our beloved dog or cat understands us, sympathizes with us and worries with us. Therefore, there are numerous stories about what large tears flow from the eyes of a dog when it sees the suffering of its owner, or how a crocodile cries when swallowing its prey.
Tears do flow from the eyes of a crocodile while eating, but these are "crocodile tears", they flow not at all because of pity (this feeling is unusual for a crocodile), but because of a spasm when swallowing food, which compresses the muscles around the lacrimal glands and squeezes out moisture like tears.
Neither the dog nor any other animal cries. Animals do not know how to cry or laugh, they just do not know what it is. Although all animals have lacrimal glands and their eyes are moistened, this is a purely physiological process. The lacrimal fluid is secreted from them to wet the cornea of the eyes, preventing it from drying out.
Crying or laughter are phenomena of a different order, here the main role is played not by physiology, but by emotions and feelings. Despite the fact that crying is an innate reflex, a newborn baby cries without tears, he just screams, experiencing some kind of discomfort. The ability to cry from pain, suffering, resentment, as well as laughing with joy, pleasure, in response to a joke, develops in a person gradually, as his feelings and emotions develop. Without a highly organized mind, the animal cannot feel emotionally, which means it cannot laugh or cry.
However, on this occasion, there are other theories and observations of scientists, according to which animals, just like people, experience certain emotions, they experience, rejoice at the meeting, suffer and may even cry. True, it is still unclear why this happens in them - from emotions or from physiology.
Many people have a pet at home, a cat or a dog, for example, and if you become attached to it, you might think that sometimes animals feel the same way as a person. They, of course, can express their emotions, mood, but only a person can cry and laugh, and no one else.
For example, dogs show their emotions, but they do it in their own way. These are usually heartbreaking sounds, like something between barking, screeching and howling. They are first produced by young puppies when they are separated from their mother. Growing up, our pets, feeling pain or resentment, can whine, whine, but tears do not appear.
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After all, to truly cry, you need to be able to think and be emotionally sensitive. And this does not mean at all that tears do not appear in their eyes, they are simply intended to prevent the cornea from drying out. In some cases, fluid is released from the lacrimal glands to aid in the removal of a foreign object - a common reaction to physical irritation of the eye from a foreign body, such as a grain of sand. Often, owners of cats and dogs say that their pets are crying, but this is a mistaken impression, just too much wetting moisture is released and it remains on the face, because they cannot wipe it off with their hands.
The unusual behavior of insects associated with the tears of animals was discovered by zoologists. It turned out that some species of butterflies use the lacrimal fluid of the fauna to maintain water balance in their bodies. An interesting coincidence - there are only two species of such insects, and both live in Madagascar.
The moth Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica sucks tears from a sleeping bird with its proboscis. It launches under the eyelids of the sleeping feathered harpoon, resembling a proboscis, and sucks on the liquid.
She manages to get drunk without disturbing the sleeping birds. Here's an unusual way to restore moisture balance. Mecistoptera griseifusa is the second butterfly, it is more abrupt, because it prefers to deal with large calm animals - antelopes, deer or crocodiles, which, for obvious reasons, cannot drive away insects from their eyes.
It is important to note that this unusual behavior of butterflies is observed precisely during the wet season, therefore zoologists suggest that in this way insects also make up for the lack of salt in the body, which is not enough in the local soil. Another "tearful" behavior of some animals is also associated with salt. Everyone knows that alligators shed profuse tears, but this is not crying at all and the phrase "crocodile tears" does not mean pity for the victim.
Sea turtles, going out on land, cry bitterly, shedding pitiful tears. The reason for the release of a large amount of fluid from the eyes is physiological, not emotional, but the Brazilian Indians are convinced that cute animals regret their abandoned homeland.
An interesting conclusion was made by Japanese researchers. They found that male mice release "sexual desire chemicals" into a liquid that moisturizes their eyes. It turns out that the tears that stand out serve to attract individuals of the opposite sex. This is explained by the fact that they contain pheromones that cause a certain physiological reaction in other mice that have smelled them.
During the mating season, the male begins to cry, but not from grief, but in order to attract a female. His abundant tears seem very attractive and even seductive to the female, and she begins to care for the muzzle of her partner. Here the bride gets under the influence of pheromones. The groom, in turn, bursts into tears even more, as if making it clear that he is ready to create a family.
Of course, in all cases the behavior of animals can be described using the vocabulary used to characterize human behavior, but still what we call thoughts or feelings in animals are nothing more than instincts, reactions and reflexes.
The process of the appearance of tears in animals can be associated with the natural reaction of their body, which is trying, thus, to get rid of accumulated salts. Maybe this is so, but how then can one explain the cry and tears of sea otters who have lost their babies?
The same beaver, for example, cries sobbingly over the loss of his home. The animal becomes phlegmatic, ceases to react to danger, and even the threat of death does not frighten him. According to eyewitnesses, weeping beavers can be found on the side of the road. Well, they cry like children, with sobs and tears. Hence the saying - "tears like a beaver." So it turns out that tears in animals can be caused not only by pain, but also by various emotions.
An example can be taken from the life of the same beavers. Individuals of the opposite sex, belonging to different families, very difficult to converge with each other. Reconciliation usually occurs after several violent fights. It is very touching to watch how the male and female approach each other with tears of friendship in their eyes. This means that peace has been established between them.
Beaver tears can be caused by the loss of offspring. Having lost the babies, the female cries for several days, and large tears drip from her eyes. She stops eating, loses weight, and may even die.
Dogs can cry not only from pain, but also from jealousy. As it turns out, they are not without this feeling. Jealousy arises when another four-legged animal appears in the house, to which increased attention is paid. In the end, this can end in a fight between animals, which, thus, defend their right to primacy. At the same time, both dogs are experiencing tremendous stress, which can result in crying and tears.
According to the bullfighters, bulls can also cry during a bullfight. They fall to their knees and cry like children. The sight, of course, is very impressive.
Believe it or not all these facts, it is purely personal matter. According to scientists, only humans are capable of crying, while animals express their emotions in a slightly different way. They whine, squeal, growl, use various gestures.