Exam 1: Behavior - Intro and General Concepts Flashcards
Behaviors that indicate pain
Limp
Move away
Posture
Vocalize
Behaviors that indicate naseau
Hyper-salivation
Abdominal movements
Not eating
Moving away from food
Behavior and plane of anesthesia/sedation
Eyes/pupil position
Movements
Reactions to touch
Types of behaviors (10)
Social behaviors
Feeding, foraging, ingestive behavior
Self care or body care
Movements and actions
Travel
Postures and expressions
Spacing behaviors
Rest and sleep
Exploration and curiosity
Reproductive behavior
Definition of objective observation
Based in fact
Quantifiable or measurable
Do not rely on opinions
Not influenced by personal bias
Definition of subjective observation
Interpretation
Could be biased
Lack of behavior
Just as important as behavior
If animal is not doing something, is it something normal for them or does it signal a problem
Important lack of behaviors in small animals to look for
Refusal to eat, poor appetite
Inability to rest or sleep, or hypervigilance
Not ambulating
Constant hiding
Feigning sleep
Absence of grooming
Activity depression (decreased play or exploratory behaviors)
Social withdrawal
What is an ethogram
Description of behaviors a set of animals might show
What are ethograms used for
Describe behaviors in context in which they occur - without explicit reference to purpose, underlying emotional state, motivation, or function
What is ethology
Scientific study of animal behavior usually considering behavior under natural conditions and as adaptive and evolutionarily influenced
What are time/activity budgets
Display how much time an animal allocates to performing certain behaviors over a designated time period
Potential behavioral indicators of good welfare
Animal is alert and curious about external environment
Animal shows range of activities
Animal interacts with other members of species/herd/flock as expected for that species
Animal interacts with or avoids human as normal for that species
Animal plays
Examples of behavioral needs Laying hens Pigs Calves Polar bears Hamsters
Laying hens - nesting in secluded place Pigs - rooting Calves - suckling Polar bears - walking long distances Hamsters - burrowing
Why is exploration of territory important
Needed for survival
Provides animal with information on predictable or unpredictable patterns of change
Why do some animals need to continually and thoroughly explore environments
Engages learning and memory capacities
These lead to cognitive maps of home range
Why is important to reward exploratory activities
Motivation to explore environment over a lifetime
What kinds of questions can be asked when trying to understand a behavior
- How does it work
2. Why does it happen
- How does it work
Mechanisms underlying behavior that cause it to occur at the time of observation
What changes are occurring within the body that results in movement shown
- Why does it happen
The way the behavior has arisen or evolved in the species
Selective advantage of the behavior
Tinbergen’s 4 questions
- cause/mechanism
- development
- evolution
- function
Which of the 4 Tinbergen questions are proximate causes
- cause/mechanism
2. development
What does proximate mean in relation to Tinbergen’s questions
Immediate, moment of the behavior, how
Which of the 4 Tinbergen questions are Ultimate causes
- evolution
4. function
What does ultimate mean in relation to Tinbergen’s questions
Deeper, ultimate purpose of behavior, survival value, why
Cause/Mechanism
What controls the behavior
Stimuli that elicit response
Recent learning
Molecular, physiological, neurological, cognitive basis for behavior
Development
How and when is the behavior acquired during the animal’s lifetime
How does it change with age
What early experiences result in behavior
Evolution
Why does this behavior survive in the species
How doe it compare with similar behavior in related species
How did it begin
Function/Adaptation
How does this behavior help individual survive and reproduce
Why does animal respond in this way instead of another way
