Thinking About Animal

Behavior

Behaviors help animals to survive and reproduce

How many behaviors can you identify in these pictures? Remember that behaviors don’t always involve movement; sometimes they include staying still.

Animals often migrate to survive and reproduceSome behaviors bring many animals together in large groups.

Can you suggests some reasons why Monarch butterflies and Sockeye salmon migrate to specific locations?

What are some of the risks of being in large groups?

What behaviors help animals to remain in large groups for long periods of time?

Many animals work together in groups

What group behaviors do you see here?

What are some of the benefits to group cooperation? What are some of the costs?

Can you think of behaviors that are helpful in group situations? What about ones that are harmful?

Some behaviors are deceptive

Killdeer mothers fake injury to lure predators away from their nests.

How does this help the mother?

The success of this strategy is based on fooling the predator. What happens if her “trick” behavior doesn’t work? Would this behavior work at night?

Some behaviors exist to impress the opposite sex

Can you think of other examples in animals? In humans?

Animals use many ways to communicate

Color and Vibration (Visual and Vibratory) Pheromones (Chemical)

Song (Acoustic)Electricity!!

Things to Think About

How do the physical characteristics of an animal shape its behavior?

What causes an animal to engage in a certain behavior?

How do instincts differ from other sorts of behaviors?

Can an animal change how it behaves as it gets older?