Line #72 Main/SlidingScaleOfAnimalCommunication


1	The Sliding Scale of Animal Communication ranges from animals who cannot communicate beyond body language (or simple hand gestures if they are anthropomorphic), to animals who can communicate intelligently with humans.
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3	''Note'': Since {{Beast M\|an}}en and LittleBitBeastly people are considered more humans (ie sapient) than animals, this trope doesn't apply to them.
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5	Here are the levels:
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7	* '''Level 0:''' Humans are the only animals that can talk. Anthropomorphic animals can use simple hand gestures to communicate (e.g. thumbs up, wave goodbye), but the only way people and animals can talk to each other is if some kind of [[UniversalTranslator translation]] [[TranslatorCollar device]] is used. Note that this tends to be the [[TruthInTelevision general consensus]] of RealLife; please do not list any examples of this type.
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9	* '''Level 1:''' Animals make human sounds such as laughing, screaming, gasping, and gulping, but don't talk.
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11	* '''Level 2:''' Animals use their noises to communicate with each other. This can be shown by putting subtitles over the animal noises, [[TranslationConvention showing the animals speak English and showing them make realistic animal noises whenever the perspective switches to a human character]], or simply showing animals using the noises in a way they never would in RealLife (i.e a group of dogs are sitting in a circle and one of them is barking at the rest of the group). Sometimes the animals can understand human language. Sometimes, not all species can talk in this manner, ([[NoCartoonFish fish]] and [[PredatorsAreMean evil predators]] being the most common examples). However, only members of the same or similar species can understand each other's particular "language", intraspecies talk instead of the usual [[AnimalTalk interspecies kind]]. Sometimes there will be a person who SpeaksFluentAnimal to translate. Otherwise, the only way they can be understood by people is with a translation device. The example can either be a human world example or a FunnyAnimal world example.
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13	* '''Level 3:''' Animals use their noises to communicate with each other. This can be shown by putting subtitles over the animal noises, [[TranslationConvention showing the animals speak English and showing them make realistic animal noises whenever the perspective switches to a human character]], or simply showing animals using the noises in a way they never would in RealLife (i.e a group of dogs are sitting in a circle and one of them is barking at the rest of the group). Sometimes the animals can understand human language. Interspecies communication exists, but only between two types of animals. Sometimes there will be a person who SpeaksFluentAnimal to translate. Otherwise, the only way they can be understood by people is with a translation device. The example can either be a human world example or a FunnyAnimal world example.
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15	* '''Level 4: AnimalTalk''' All animals understand each other regardless of species. This can be shown by putting subtitles over the animal noises, [[TranslationConvention showing the animals speak English and showing them make realistic animal noises whenever the perspective switches to a human character]], or simply showing animals using the noises in a way they never would in RealLife (i.e a group of dogs are sitting in a circle and one of them is barking at the rest of the group). Sometimes the animals can understand human language. Sometimes, not all species can talk in this manner, ([[NoCartoonFish fish]] and [[PredatorsAreMean evil predators]] being the most common examples). All (or almost all) animals understand each other regardless of species. If {{Language Barrier}}s among animals exist, they will be regional and cultural rather than based on species. Sometimes there will be a person who SpeaksFluentAnimal to translate. Otherwise, the only way they can be understood by people is with a translation device. The example can either be a human world example or a FunnyAnimal world example. In most cases, animals use their noises to communicate with each other like Level 3 and 4, but in some cases [[VentriloquistAnimal the animals don't move their mouths]] or if it's a comic, ThoughtBubbleSpeech may be used.
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17	* '''Level 5:''' An animal who can talk to humans, but not without a heavy speech impediment (e.g. Scooby Doo, Donald Duck). Can come with a full or partial masquerade or be openly known to all. Can be an interpreter for non-verbal and AnimalTalk animals. This ability can come about as a result of UpliftedAnimal, show up in a select one or few non-human species, or be spread across the animal kingdom.
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19	* '''Level 6:''' An animal who can communicate intelligently with humans. Can come with a full or partial masquerade or be openly known to all. Can be an interpreter for non-verbal and AnimalTalk animals. This ability can come about as a result of UpliftedAnimal, show up in a select one or few non-human species, or be spread across the animal kingdom.
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21	Related to FurryConfusion, WorldOfFunnyAnimals, and LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy. Supertrope of AnimalTalk, which is Level 4. Related to SpeaksFluentAnimal, SpeechImpairedAnimal, TalkingAnimal, and SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism.
22	----
23	[[foldercontrol]]
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25	!!!Level 0: Only Humans Can Talk:
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27	[[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs Please don't list any examples of this type.]]
28	----
29	!!!Level 1: Animals make human sounds but don't talk:
30	----
31	[[AC:Western Animation]]
32	* ''Franchise/TomAndJerry'':
33	** ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'': Zig-zagged. Most of the time, they're completely speechless outside of laughing, screaming, and the occasional gulp, but in some episodes Tom or Jerry has a line or two.
34	** Played straight in the ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryTales'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheTomAndJerryShow'', however.
35	----
36	!!!Level 2: Animals of the same species talk to each other.
37	----
38	[[AC:Literature]]
39	* The cats of ''Literature/WarriorCats'' have an elaborate society and culture unlike real feral cat behavior, but almost never communicate with other species (the only times this happens are when one cat speaks Dog to make some dogs go away, when an unusually intelligent rat speaks Cat, and when [[TokenHeroicOrc Midnight the Badger]] speaks Cat). They remain quadrupedal but vocalize more than real life cats.
40	----
41	!!!Level 3: Animals of different species share a language.
42	----
43	[[AC:Films -- Animated]]
44	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'' Elephants and gorillas understand each other.
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46	!!!Level 4: All animals understand each other regardless of species, with the exception of humans.
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48	Examples go in AnimalTalk, not here.
49	----
50	!!!Level 5: An animal who can talk to humans, but not without a heavy speech impediment:
51	----
52	[[AC:Western Animation]]
53	* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo'' is the TropeCodifier.
54	* ''WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck'' is a FunnyAnimal like all the other characters, but is hard to understand.
55	----
56	!!!Level 6: An animal who can communicate intelligently with humans:
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58	[[AC:Anime & Manga]]
59	* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': Most of the Pokémon are Level 2, but Meowth of the Team Rocket trio fits this level. He used to be a normal street Meowth but he taught himself to talk to humans. As a result, he's often treated on par with humans and often [[DenialOfAnimality forgets that he's a Meowth]].
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61	[[AC:Comic Strips]]
62	* In an odd case, Snoopy from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' is an anthro dog who doesn't talk. Despite this, he's certainly one of the most verbose and eloquent of the characters, verbalizing his thoughts via a typewriter. His pal Woodstock might surpass him except that we don't know what Woodstock says exactly. Though despite said eloquence, he can't write stories to save his life.
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64	[[AC:Film]]
65	* While most of the animals ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' are Level 1, Iago the Parrot can talk to humans.
66	* The animals in ''WesternAnimation/{{Barnyard}}'' can talk to humans, but choose not to.
67	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'': Most of the animals are Level 3, but Timothy Mouse can talk to humans.
68	* The rabbits in ''Film/{{Hop}}''.
69	* ''Film/{{Paulie}}'' the Parrot.
70	* Most of the animal characters in ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'', except for Dragon who is Level 1.
71	* ''Film/{{Underdog}}'', although all the other dogs in the movie are Level 2.
72	* The animals in ''Film/{{Zookeeper\|2011}}''.
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74	[[AC:Literature]]
75	* The animals in ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia''.
76	* The mice and rats in ''Literature/TheTaleOfDespereaux''.
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78	[[AC:Web Animation]]
79	* WebAnimation/AlgicosathlonCamp has the Smile Dog King (Number 22326) talking normally with Black, Nave and Yvan, who are "humans". However, all other smile dogs are firmly in Level 1, along with Black's cat.
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81	[[AC:Western Animation]]
82	* Brian the Dog (and a few others, like Vinnie and Jasper) from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''.
83	* The characters in ''WesternAnimation/LittleBear'' can talk with TokenHuman Emily.
84	* Many of the animal characters in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', including WesternAnimation/BugsBunny, WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck, and WesternAnimation/SylvesterTheCatAndTweetyBird.
85	* ''WesternAnimation/MarthaSpeaks'' is about a dog who can speak when she eats alphabet soup.
86	* Most of the animals in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' are Level 1, but some episodes feature animals that can talk to humans.
87	* ''WesternAnimation/TopCat'': The cats can talk to the humans. The other animals (such as the anteater) are Level 1 though.
88	* Massimo from ''WesternAnimation/ProducingParker'' is an interesting case, as he is able to talk to any human he pleases, it's just kept a secret from everyone except Parker.

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