There are many animals that produce tears, but theirs function And biological (eye protection or lubrication) and otherwise emotional or turn to communicate stress and pain. From this point of view, humans appear to be the only animals that exhibit tearing for emotional communication purposes. Animals communicate sadness and other emotions through other forms of body language or with unusual behaviorsfor example by isolating themselves or refusing food. And yes, if you were wondering crocodiles crybut only when they make very intense physical effort.
Which animals produce tears and how do they “cry”
There are animals that produce real tears from lacrimal glandsbut I’m not emotional tears (like those of human beings who have their own particular chemistry). Very often, however, animals they “cry” without tearstherefore using particularly advanced mechanisms to demonstrate suffering, sorrow or stress.
Here is a list of the most studied animals for which information on tearing is available, indicating the main behaviors through which they communicate suffering (in short, how they “cry”):
- Horses: they cry with tears to remove foreign bodies from the eye and to maintain continuous lubrication;
- Dogs: they make a whimpering sound due to stress or distress; if you see occasional tears, it is certainly due to the cleanliness of the eye, if they are continuous tears it could be a problem with the lubrication of the eye;
- Cats: they meow and whine to show sadness or discomfort;
- Elephants: among the few animals that cry when subjected to strong emotional or physical stress;
- Primates (chimpanzees and gorillas): they assume attitudes and postures showing suffering with body language and behavior;
- Bears: produce tears to keep eyes moist and clean; they use lament in case of emotional and physical stress;
- Calves: they tear if they are separated from their mother during the milk period, without gradual separation, or if they perceive very strong physical pain;
- Cows: they tear if they are separated from the puppies during the milk production period;
- Chickens: they make a loud moan;
- Mice and rats: they squeak high-pitched and shrill at the loss of a member of the group to which they are attached;
- Crocodiles: they cry tears when subjected to great effort;
- Birds: they clean their eyes with tears; parrots express pain and frustration by vocalizing, making noises and acquiring unusual behaviors;
- Amphibians and reptiles: they tear to protect the eyes from external agents.
Expert opinions on animal crying
At the moment everything seems to lead to the awareness that animals do not cry emotional tearsalthough the reason for this special human evolution And still under study. In fact, it seems that humans are the only animals to have developed tears as a powerful signal for the transmission of a message of need in the’social sphere.
What is certain is that, although some animals are capable of crying, to cry like a human being (i.e. with emotional tears) the ability to process deep emotions in a complex way through a specific brain structure, but also aanatomy of the eye that allows this specific form of tearing.
It is therefore certain that animals use tears to lubricate the eye And keep it clean by external agents, and who manifest sadness, depression, pain and other of these emotions – which they are still capable of feeling – in a different way, for example with unusual behaviors or body postures evidently different from the ordinary.
And do dogs cry?
Another well-studied example is i dogs. Several studies describe how dogs do not cry out of sadness, but they yelp or hire poses of submission. The basal tears of the dog are useful for lubricating the eye; the tears are then directed inside the nose from where they then escape. Strong tearing of the animal could indicate a problem with this type of drainage. Dogs also possess the ability to produce reactive tearsin addition to the basal ones we were talking about, i.e. tears useful specifically to remove a foreign body from the eye, or as a response to an inflammation or infection.
