Animal Behavior

Behavior·Behavior is the way an organism interacts with other organisms and its environment.

·Some behaviors are learned, while others are inherited (which means the animals are born with them)

Animals react to stimulus.

Stimulus is anything in the environment that causes a reaction.

Innate (inherited) Behavior

An innate behavior is one which an animal is born with (it inherited it). Two examples are reflexes and instinct.

·A reflex is an automatic response that does not involve a message from the brain. This response will happen in an instant.

·An instinct is a complex pattern of innate behaviors. This response can take weeks or even months to complete.

Learned Behavior

An learned behavior develops during an animal's lifetime as a result of experience or practice

·In changing environments, animals that have the ability to learn a new behavior are more likely to survive. learning new behaviors can modify instincts.

Learned Behavior

·Imprinting is when an animal forms a social attachment to other organisms after birth or hatching.

Learned Behavior

·Sometimes animals can learn new behaviors by trial and error. In this situation, animals are modifying their behavior based on new experiences.

Insight allows animals to use past experiences to solve new problems.

Learned Behavior

·In conditioning, behavior is modified so that a response to one stimulus becomes associated with a different stimulus.

Behavioral Interactions

Social Behavior

Social behavior is the interactions among organisms of the same species. Some examples are : courtship & mating, caring for young, claiming territories, protecting each other and getting food.

A society is a group of animals of the same species living and working together in an organized way.

Behavioral Interactions

Territorial Behavior

A territory is an area that an animal defends from other members of the same species. Territories will contain food, shelter and potential mates. Defending territory from members of the same species is an instinctive behavior.

Aggression is a forceful behavior used to dominate or control other animals. On the other hand, submission is a behavior animals may use to avoid conflict, being injured or to show that the other animal is dominant.

Behavioral InteractionsCommunication

There are several kinds of communication that are used by animals.

·Courtship behavior - used for mating

·Chemical communication - uses pheromones (chemicals produced by one animal that may influence behavior of another animal of the same species)

·Sound communication - used by vertebrates and many insects

·Light communication - bioluminescence may be used to lure prey, escape predators or serve as marks of recognition. This type of communication is commonly used by certain kinds of flies, marine organisms and some beetles.

For the rest of the notes WS, read pages 192 - 194 in your textbook and complete the WS.