1. Animal Behavior
Chapter 33

2. Behavior-the way an animal acts
-is genetic
-is important to survival
-should be flexible (change with the environment)

3. 2 Important Parts: -stimulus- causes a response in an organism
-response- reaction to a stimulus
Ex. stimulus-mouse moves in the grass
response-owl attacks mouse

4. Innate Behavior -is an instinct, non-learned -inborn
-is built into an animal’s nervous system
-does not change during an animal’s lifetime
Ex. nursing at birth, web building, nest building, courting, crying, coughing

6. Reflex
A simple, automatic response to a stimulus that involves no conscious control (touching a hot object)

7. Fight or Flight Response
Mobilizes the body for greater activity

8. Communication
Passing information from one animal to another

9. Why communicate?
Choosing mates/courtship

10. Locate food

11. Warn of danger

12. How to communicate: Visually Colorful bodies Sound
Chemical signals (pheromones)
Electrical signals

13. Special Behaviors Circadian Rhythms:
-Biological processes that occur over a 24 hour period
“Internal biological clock”
ex. awake during the day, asleep at night
-shift workers confuse their circadian
rhythms, jet lag

14. Reproduction Courting behaviors
(ex. singing in birds, croaking in frogs, spreading feathers in peacocks, neck flapping in lizards, chemicals (pheromones…..odors))

15. Finding Food
Ex. “Talking” / “Dancing” in bees, spiders building webs)

16. Protection
Ex. wolves living in packs, buffalo living in herds, adults surround young

17. Migration Instinctive, seasonal movement of animals
-controlled by day length
-climate changes, mating, food
-navigate by sun and stars, geographic clues, Earth’s magnetic field

18. Hibernation Period of inactivity during cold winter months
-body temperature drops
-oxygen consumption decreases
-breathing rates decline
-it conserves energy
-squirrels, chipmunks

20. Estivation
State of reduced metabolism that occurs in animals living in conditions of intense heat
-desert animals

21. Territory
A physical space an animal defends against other members of its species
Ex.
-selecting an appropriate territory
has survival value

22. Aggressive Behavior
Used to intimidate another animal of the same species, usually does not end in death
Ex. bird calling, teeth baring, growling)

23. Parental Behavior
Adults care for young, providing food, protection, and warmth. Very important for the survival of small litters

24. Learned Behavior -must be taught -must be practiced -can be changed
-accomplished through experiences
Ex. writing, driving

25. Habituation Decrease in a response to a stimulus
(ex. Birds with shadows overhead, horses)

26. Classical Conditioning
Making a mental connection between a stimulus and a good or bad event
Ex. Using can food opener to feed dogs, raising hand to hit someone….they flinch)
Pavlov’s dogs

27. Operant Conditioning
Trial and error. Behave a certain way to receive a reward
Ex. Bird eats a colored butterfly, and it gets sick….it won’t eat that kind of butterfly again

28. Insight Learning
Applying previous knowledge (reasoning) to a new situation
Ex. Driver’s education…..driving many different cars, then driving a 4wheeler or jet ski, learning math in school)
-primates do this!

29. Imprinting
An animal, at a critical time of its life, forms a social attachment to another object
Ex. Duckling following its mother

30. Only humans use language.