The expression of emotion through crying is a distinctive trait of human beings. However, certain animals are able to shed tears in situations of high stress . This behavior, in particular, has been observed in elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, horses and bears.
Other animals, on the other hand, express their emotional state in different ways and use tears solely for physiological reasons, ie to keep their eyes clean and moist. In addition, some turtles and crocodiles exploit tearing to expel excess salts from their body.
