Animal Behavior

1. Animal Behavior The things animals do….

2. Animal Behavior Vocabulary • Ethology = study of animal behavior • Behavior = action performed in response to stimulus Whale tail

3. Vocabulary • Stimulus = something that elicits a response Examples of stimuli? Sight Touch Smell Taste Sound

4. Vocabulary- other stimuli Heat Light Chemicals Humidity Vibration Color Gravity Pressure ★Presence of another animal Others?

5. Stimuli • External Stimulus = something outside the animal e.g. sound, sight, smell, etc, presence of another animal

6. Stimuli • Internal Stimulus = something inside the animal e.g. hunger, fatigue, feeling cold, hormones

7. Vocabulary • Anthropomorphism = attributing human emotions to animals ★We need to be careful about ascribing human emotions to animals E.g. the animal is happy

8. Types of Behavior • Foraging = feeding e.g. locate, obtain & consume food

9. Types of Behavior 2. Parental Care = ensuring survival of young e.g. carrying, nursing, cuddling, holding young

10. Types of Behavior 3. Courtship= attracting a mate e.g. courtship displays, bright feathers, songs, other vocalizations, head butting, fighting

11. Courtship

12. Types of Behavior 4. Reproductive = e.g. mating, giving birth

13. Types of Behavior 5. Offensive/Defensive= aggression, submissive behavior, defense from aggressors e.g. hiding, fighting, escape, threatening

14. Types of Behavior 6. Territorial = protect a resource for exclusive use e.g. scenting / marking, birdsong, protection of mate / offspring, space, food or water source

15. Types of Behavior 7. Social = work to create alliances, help the group e.g. grooming, babysitting, defense of musk ox young, play, play fight

16. Types of Behavior 8. Migratory = movement to a more suitable environment as seasons change e.g. dry vs. rainy seasons, winter vs. summer range for browsers & birds e.g. salmon upriver to spawn, artic tern – 1800 m from Arctic to Antarctic, 2x/year

17. Types of Behavior 9. Communication = signaling between one animal & another • Greeting e.g. sniff, hug, kiss “bite” • Aggression e. g. charge, bite, hit, fight, etc. • Non-aggression e.g. patting, head butting, stroking

18. Types of Behavior- Communication • Grooming (bonding, alliances, keeping clean) • Group hunt ( e.g. hyenas, lions)

19. Types of Behavior- Communication • Vocalizations e.g. bark, growl, snort, howl, hoot, chirp, whinny, alarm sound, other language

20. Types of Behavior- Communication • Non-verbal signaling e.g. body, head, ear, & / or tail position showing teeth, smiling, looking away, looking directly at, gesturing, thumping, beating chest, raising hackles or hood, drumming, tail slap, snort, scenting, pheromones, sign language

21. Why Communicate? • Defense (warn away) • Alliance (get helper or mate) • Elicit play

22. Types of Behavior 10. Curiosity = investigating new stimulus in environment e.g. approach, sniff, chew, bite, mount

23. Types of Behavior 11. Elimination = defecation, urination

24. Types of Behavior 12. Resting = apparent inaction e.g. lying down, sitting, basking, sleeping, loafing

25. Types of Behavior 13. Play Purpose = training for life (defense, hunting, etc)

26. Types of Behavior Development 1. Natural Selection An animal that successfully completes a helpful behavior survives to pass on the behavior to offspring. Those whose genes fit the conditions survive.

27. Types of Behavior Development 2. Innate Behavior Appear in fully functional form when first performed E.g. Startle behavior – purpose = self-preservation E.g. web building, suckling, bird begging, nest building, some bird song

28. Types of Behavior Development 3. Learning • development of behaviors through experience • determines final shape of innate behaviors • 5 types of learning

29. Types of Learning 1. Imprinting (both innate & learned) • occurs only during a critical time frame • once learned, can’t be changed (see Conrad Lorenz with ducklings)

30. Imprinting

31. Types of Learning 2. Habituation Animal learns to ignore frequent, harmless stimulus • E.g. scarecrow, habituation to observer

32. Types of Learning 3 Classical Conditioning Animal learns to associate unrelated response with a stimulus • E.g. Pavlov’s experiments • bell ringing, food,  salivation • bell ringing, salivation (even if no food is given) + + 

33. Classical Conditioning E.g. 1. leash = going for a walk, excitement 2. sight of leash = excitement

35. Types of Learning 4. Operant Conditioning • Animal learns to behave in a certain way through repeated practice • Trial & error learning – animal tests conditions for desired response e.g. Skinner box • Animal learns that a behavior gets a certain response • e.g. rat presses lever, gets food

37. Types of Learning 5. Reasoning • Analyze problem & devise solution using past experiences • Most Dogs? E.g. No, can’t unwind leash from tree • Most Horses? No

39. Can primates reason? • Primates? yes • e.g. chimp, bananas, boxes

40. Can primates reason?

41. Can primates reason?

42. Can primates reason? • e.g. Japanese macaques float grain in water

43. ★See Alex the Parrot Jack Hana Video African Gray Parrot