how does atheism/materialism account for

[Brettongarcia]

152. Which some have derived, in stories about learning from animals

And from speculations about animal religion; not just the discredited "God gene," but "altruism," etc.

Interestingly, some animals like crows, seem to attend to the bodies of their deceased comrades; some all it "mourning." Elephants return to sites where other elephants died, etc..

A fullfledged "religion" of course, is probably not to be found in animal society. But that's in part because it requires some cognitive content, ironically. Beyond the emotions - "love" and so forth - that this post is mostly about. Mostly it's about emotions. Which animals seem to have.

Even wolves howl at the moon; a proto-religious impulse? A dim intuition of some kind of sublimity in the sky?

Of course, a fullfledged "scripture" proper, is impossible by definition. But the basic emotional underpinnings of religion have been plausibly traced to animal behavior. And in fact, to survival and evolution; the love or care of an animal mother to her children, assists the survival of the species.

It is important to get beyond inability to see beyond minor differences; to see the larger overall structures in nature and life. The larger patterns and general rules.

Your implication that religion is uniquely human does not quite seem right; it does not even quite square with the Bible. Where a donkey speaks words found in the Bible (Balaam's Donkey) for example. Where "all the earth" including the animals, sing praise of God.