Animal Behavior Flashcards
Ethology
Study of animal behavior
Behavior definition
Action performed in response to stimulus (circular def, sorry)
Stimulus definition
Something that elicits a response (circular def, sorry)
There are 12 stimuli, list a few
- Sight
- Touch
- Smell
- Taste
- Sound
- Heat
- Light
- Chemicals
- Humidity
- Vibration
- Color
- Gravity
- Pressure
- Presence of another animal
External stimulus
Something outside the animal
- Sound, sight, smell, etc
- Presence of another animal
Internal stimulus
Something inside the animal
- Hunger, fatigue, feeling cold
- Hormones
Fixed Action Pattern (FAP)
- A highly stereotypical, innate behavior that cont to completion after initiation by external stimulus
- Considered to be hardwired and innate, meaning they do not require learning or experience to be performed
Anthropomorphism
Attributing human emotions to animals
T/F: Animals have emotions, but not necessarily the same as ours
True!
Behavior development: Natural selection
An animal that successfully completes a helpful behavior that survives to pass on the behavior to offspring.
- Those who give genes fit the conditions survive.
Behavior development: Innate behavior
Appear fully functional form when first performed
- Web building, suckling, bird begging
- Nest building, some bird songs
- Herding
Behavior development: Learning (2)
IMPORTANT
- Development of behaviors thru experience
- Determines final shape of innate behaviors
Behavior development:
Learning
List the 6 types
- Imprinting
- Habituation
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Reasoning
- Sensitization
Imprinting learning: (3)
- Both innate & learned
- Occurs only during a critical time frame
- Once learned, cannot be changed
Habituation learning:
Animal learns to ignore frequent, harmless stimulus.
Ex: Like how you do with the phones ringing at work
Sensitization learning:
Increased response to stimuli with increased exposure
- Nail trim
- Submissive urination
Classical conditioning learning:
Animal learns to associate unrelated response with a stimulus
- Pavlov’s experiment
- Bell rings -> food -> salivation
- Bell rings -> salivation even without food present
Operant conditioning learning: (3)
- Animal learns to behave in a certain way thru repeated practice
- Trial & error learning: animal tests conditions for desired response
- Types: Pos/Neg reinforcement; Pos/Neg punishment (4 total)
The types of operant conditioning:
Positive reinforcement
Give good item for good behavior
The types of operant conditioning:
Positive punishment
Give bad item for bad behavior
The types of operant conditioning:
Negative reinforcement
Remove a bad item for good behavior
The types of operant conditioning:
Negative punishment
Remove good item for bad behavior
Foraging behavior
- Feeding
- Locate, obtain, & consume food
Parental care behavior
- Ensuring survival of young
- Carrying, nursing, cuddling, holding young, guarding
Courtship behavior
- Attracting a mate
- Courtship displays, bright feathers, songs
- Vocalizations, head butting, fighting
Reproductive behavior
- Mating
- Giving birth
Offensive/Defensive behavior
- Aggression, submissive behavior
- Defense from aggressors
- Ex: hiding, fighting, escape, threatening
Territorial behavior
- Protect a resource for exclusive use
- Protection of mate/offspring
- Space, food, or water source
Social behavior
- Work to create alliances
- Help the group:
a. Grooming, babysitting
b. Defense of musk ox young
c. Play, play fight
Migratory
Moving to a more suitable environment as seasons change.
- Dry vs rainy seasons
- Winter vs summer
This can be done for breeding, browers & birds
Communication behavior
Signaling between one animal & another
- Greeting
- Alarm
- Aggression
- Non aggression
- Grooming
- Vocalizations
Curiosity behavior
Investigating new stimuli
Elimination behavior
Urination, defecation, vomiting
Resting behavior
Sleeping, basking
PLAY! behavior
Practice for life
- Hunting
- Defense
- Courtship
**This is a luxury for animal with ample food. Give any animal a toy, & it will play!!
