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What is behavior?
Behavior is the way an organism interacts with other organisms and its environment. Behaviors are affected by stimuli. A stimulus is anything in the environment that causes a reaction. A stimulus can be internal (examplehunger or thirst) or external (examplea rival male entering another males territory)
Innate Behavior
Behavior that an animal is born with Inherited/not learned Example
Innate Behavior
Reflexa simple, automatic response that doesnt involve a message from the brain
Examplessneezing, blinking when something is thrown toward you
Learned Behavior
Develops during an animals lifetime Animals with more complex brains and longer life spans exhibit more behaviors that are the result of experience and practice. Learned behavior includes: imprinting, trial and error, conditioning, and insight.
Imprinting
When an animal forms a social attachment to another organism and develops a sense of identity in the first few hours and days of its life
Conditioning
Behavior is modified so that a response to one stimulus becomes associated with a different stimulus Example
Insight
A form of reasoning that allows animals to use past experiences to solve new problems Babies learn mostly by trial and error. Adults rely more on insight. Example Elephant using insight to solve problem
Behavioral Interactions
Social Behavior
Interaction among organisms of the same species Includes courtship and mating, caring for young, claiming territories, protecting each other, and getting food Some animals live together in societies. A society is a group of animals of the same species who live and work together in an organized way.
Territorial Behavior
Many animals set up territories for feeding, mating, and raising young. A territory is an area that an animal defends from other members of the same species. Why do animals claim and defend territories? This video segment looks at koalas. An outsider, a traveling male, enters an established colony and a territory battle ensues.
Territorial Behavior
Aggression A forceful behavior used to dominate or control another animal Submission Postures that make an animal appear smaller and are used to communicate surrender
Communication
Communication can be auditory (sound), visual, tactile (touch) or chemical (tastes and smells). Animals use communication to attract mates, warn off predators, mark territory and to identify themselves. NatureWorks video: Communication
Cyclic Behaviors
An innate behavior that occurs in a repeating pattern
Hibernationa cyclic response to cold temperatures and limited food supplies Migrationthe instinctive seasonal movement of animals from one habitat to another
NatureWorks video: Migration