Animal Behavior

Animal BehaviorAnimal Behavior – an action or a group of

actions performed by an animal in response to some stimulus

There are 3 types of animal behavior:

Innate Behavior1. Innate behavior – genetically determined behavior (animal

is born with the ability to know how to do it)

a. Reflex – simple, automatic response that involves no conscious control

Innate Behavior

b. Instinct – complex innate behavior; ex.: suckling, nest building, web spinning

Innate Behavior

c. Taxis – response made by the whole organism to an environmental stimulus- insects moving away from or toward light = phototaxis- moving toward chemical substance = chemotaxis

Innate Behavior

d. Migration – seasonal movement of animals, usually to a warmer area

Innate Behavior

e. Estivation – a state of reduced metabolism that occurs in animals living in conditions of intense heat

Innate Behavior

f. Hibernation – a deep sleep in which body temperature, oxygen consumption, and breathing rate decrease (conserves energy)

Learned Behavior

2. Learned behavior – obtained through practice or experiencea. Habituation- occurs when an animal is repeatedly given a

stimulus that is not associated with any punishment or reward- horse not moving when cars go by on a road- Child keeps misbehaving when there is no punishment- Deer at Stone Mountain State Park (not camera-shy)

Learned behavior- squirrel gets food from a bird feeder

Habituation- deer checking out a car at a state park

Learned Behavior

b. Imprinting – an animal forms a social attachment to an object during its “critical time”– if you pick up a baby

bird, it might think you are its mama

Learned Behavior

c. Classical Conditioning (stimulus association)- animal learns to associate one event with another event– Pavlov’s dog experiments with bell and food

Learned Behavior

d. Trial and error – keeps trying until the correct response is made; there must be a reward– Mouse in a maze (gets faster each time); basketball

Social Behavior3. Social Behaviora. Communication within social structure using

pheromones (ex. Bees and ants)– Pheromone = a chemical released by an animal that affects the

behavior or development of other members of the same species through the sense of smell or taste

– Ants leaving a trail to food, bees identifying and defending hive, attracting mates

Social Behavior

b. Courtship dances – movements to attract mate– Spiders, birds, humans

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Social Behavior

c. Territorial defense (ex. Fighting fish) – animal defends its physical space against other members of its species– Prevents overcrowding and increases survival