behavior mammalogy (spring 2015 althoff - reference fdvm chapters 21-23) lec 12
TRANSCRIPT
Behavior
Mammalogy (Spring 2015 Althoff - reference FDVM Chapters 21-23)
LEC 12
Behavior
• Animal’s ________________ &__________________ equipment forms basis for behavior
• Interest because of flexibility & variability (compared to other vertebrates and vertebrates)
• __________ & __________ behaviors
Behavior
• Well developed ________ organs
• Brain capable of rapid evaluation of sensory information
• Therefore: facilitated ___________ of communication and social
behavior
Compared to other Vertebrates:
• Not completely unique from other vertebrates for innate behavior
• Difference: _____________________
_____________________________
Non-Social Behavior
• Feeding Behavior
• Hoarding Behavior
• Shelter Building Behaviora) nests (squirrels)b) burrows (gophers/moles)c) houses (woodrats, beavers,
muskrats)
Communication• Most highly developed in “________” way• Key categories:
a) visualb) olfactoryc) auditoryd) tactile
• Unknown to large degree: ____________thought to help some predatorsdetect prey. For example, _________ _____________ picks up electric field produced by earthworms
General Properties of Major Sensory Channels of Communication for Mammals
Range
Transmission rate
Travel around objects
Night use
Fade-out time
Locate sender
Cost to send signal
Long
Slow
_____
Yes
_____
Difficult
_____Table 2.1, p408 FDVMK
SIGNAL PROPERTY OlfactoryLong
Fast
Yes
Yes
Fast
Varies
High
Auditory VisualMedium
Fast
No
Little
Fast
Easy
Medium
Short
Fast
No
Yes
Fast
Easy
Low
Tactile
FEMALE
MALE
1. Tarsal gland
2. Metatarsal gland
3. Forehead (1rubbed with urinary pheromones)
4. Tail
5. Urine
6. Interdigital gland
Mule deer—sources of scent
Fig. 21.2, p409 FDVMK
Functions of Communication
• Group spacing and coordination (consider canid-based wind hypothesis)
• Recognition• Reproduction (see Reproduction lecture & Senses
lecture notes)
• Aggression and social status
• Alarm• Hunting for food (see canid vs. felid comparisons)
• Giving and soliciting care
• Soliciting play
Group Spacing & Coordination
• Documented in some primates…Cebus monkeys (aka white-faced monkeys) of South American rain forest
• When individuals spread out over 100 m diameter area, there are constant “________ _______”. Isolated member will even utter a “__________”.
Recognition• Besides species recognition (for
closely-related species), there is evidence that there is recognition of ___—even if no interactions early in the life of one or the other
• Value: behave “____________” & _____ possible costs of ___________ with close relatives. Belding’s ground squirrels shown to recognize littermates later in life—even when separated as neonates
Aggression and Social Status
• When in “close quarters” competing for food and space, being aggressive can be beneficial. For the inferior one, communicating that they will not “challenge” can ___________________—and that saves both energy and reduced stress
Hunting for Food• Reviewed by Kleiman and Eisenberg (1973) for
canids vs. felids
• Overall, structured communication would be favored in group living both for locating prey and cooperation in securing it
• African wild dog provides an example of an highly developed communication system: a) _______________________ (“rally”) that includes nosing, lip-licking, tail-wagging, and circling b) rallying ensures alertness & readiness
Soliciting Play
• Function of “play” remains under debate…especially amount mature/adult individuals
• For developing young, it likely serves the immediate function of __________________ development and coordination
• Observed in canids…among adults. Example is the “play bow” by dogs
FOCUS: Prey vs. Predatory
• Common: Reproduction/Parenting/Spacing
• Prey: oriented toward detection vs. reaction
• Predator: oriented toward detection & cooperative hunting
Spatial Relations• ____________ = area which is used by an
animal in its day-to-day activities and in which it spends most of its time. “Sallies” or “wanderings” outside the area are exceptions…depends on one’s definition.
__________ represents area of heaviest use within the home range.
Home ranges and core areas of baboons in Nairobi Park, KenyaFDVMK Fig. 21.12 p415
Spatial Relations• Territory = area is occupied by individual or
group exclusively…and is _______________ ___________________________…or both.
• By patrolling boundaries of space, vocalizing, visiting scent posts, and making other displays results in significantly __________ expenditure
• Key to establishment: __________________ = _____ (energy expenditure, risk of injury, etc.) ________(aka access to resources)
CASE STUDY: Felids vs. Canids
• Kleiman & Eisenberg (1973)Kleiman, D.G. and J.F. Eisenberg. 1973.
Comparisons of canid and felid social systems from an evoluntionary perspective. Animal Behaviour 21:637-659.
• Focused on evolutionary history, distribution, habitat preferences, morphology, and behavior
Background
• Long _________ evolutionaryhistory--diverged in Eocene...specialized predators for a longtime.
• Evolutionary trends paralleleddiversity and adaptation to ______________of prey species.
Felids
• Tigers: cool, moist biomes
• Leopards: dry, tropical
• Lions: ___________________(______ group dwelling felid)
Canids
• Wolf: prairie ecosystem(buffalo, deer, elk...as well as caribou and moose)
• African cape hunting dog:savanna
• Coyote: prairie ecosystem
Generally, “_______”
habitat
Felids - cat skeletons
• Most adapted to making leaps and striking prey with forepaws
Exception: _______________
• Large, retractile claws on fore-paw enable them to climb
Felids - cat skeletons...continued
• Skull: truncated and rostrumshortened when compared tocanids....__________________
________________
• Face dominated by ________...excellent “form” vision,sense mood of conspecifics
Felids ...continued
• ________ is dominant sensory systemused for hunting
• Overall, big “cats” _______ than________ canids
Canids - dog skeletons
• Long-legged, _____ well-adapted to leaping
• _________ runners
• _________ is long
• _________ vision not good but discriminates movement well
Canids...continued
• __________ sense of smell
• __________ sense of hearing
• …and sense of sight not too bad, either!
Method of Attack on HERBIVORES
• Felids: ______ attack large prey
vs.
• Canids: ______ attack of largeherbivores
Behavioral Specializations: Felid Hunting & Feeding
• Can kill prey equal to or greater than body size
• Kill is swift once contact is made
• Extra “leverage” allows bite to braincaseor neck
• Kill by suffocation
Felid Hunting & Feeding...con’t
• Initial stages of hunt: stealthyapproach, usually solo
• Chase, except for cheetah, is usually ______
• Also, some ________
• Almost all __________ carnivorous
(thus, more _________________ than ____________)
Reproductive Behavior
• Domestic cats—induced ovulators, extended estrus
• Courtship is brief (1-5 days)
• Repeated copulations
• Male finds female by odor cues but females do call
Reproductive Behavior
• Litter sizes 1-5 (mode = 3)
• Smaller litter sizes than most all carnivores
• Born in ______________ precoccial state than canids
• Litter size, precoccial-ness may be due to female only rearing
Visual Displays
• Domestic cat: 9 distinct facialexpressions, 16 distinct
body/tail postures
• Face-to-face encounters: eyesimportant...change in pupilsize
• “_________________” communication
TIGER
SIBERIAN LYNX
BOBCAT
“visual behind”
Felids: Social Systems
• Nearly all are solitary hunters, and solitary most of their lifetime.
exception is ___________
• Thus, main social grouping in felids is
______________________.
Felid: Social Systems ...continued
• Exception: Lions
Females have group that rears young
Males usually have their own group
Behavioral Specializations: Canid Hunting & Feeding
• Primarily ____________ existence(i.e., don’t climb trees)
• No _________________ characteristics to takedown large prey
• Small prey: killed w/ head shake• Large prey: ___________ bites to weaken
prey
Canid Hunting & Feeding...con’t
• Prey mainly located by _________& ___________ cues
• Many nocturnal, wolves diurnal• ____ strictly carnivores...especially
smaller canids. They seasonallyconsume fruit/vegetable matter
• ____________ on prey of larger predators
Canid Hunting & Feeding ...con’t
• “Peaceful” communal feedingresult of scavenging & group hunt
• Cooperative hunts much moreeffective
• _______ stomach capacity: consume large qty. at once
Canid Hunting & Feeding ...con’t
• Large “consumption” ability may reflect inability to defend a kill...also canids often cache food. Felids also carry off large carcasses
Reproductive Behavior
• Typically, only 1 estrus per year
• During breeding season, male-female interactions prolonged(weeks, months)
• Higher litter sizes (range 2-13)(mode is 5)
Care of Young
• Usually involves care of female & her litter
a) wolves & African huntingdog--_____ structure
b) foxes, coyotes,etc--____bond (male & female)
• _____________ of food
Care of Young...con’t
• Burrow construction (not done amongfelids)
a) _____________ for youngb) reduces _________
from predation
Communication
• Olfactory: urine & feces
• Vocalizations: 9-16 distinctvocalizations (wolves-foxes), including howling--long distance calling
• Visual: variety of ear, tail,& body postures
Communication--visual...con’t
• During close contact, generally an _____________ of direct eye contact
with dominants....plus tail wagging signals submission
Social Organization
• Tolerance of the sexes…results in permanent or at a minimum a seasonal pair bond
• _______ structure: wolves & hunting dogs (usually related):
differences--wolves M & Fhierarchy, not same structure for hunting dogs
Summary: Address these issues
• Social structures derived from different sources for felids & canids...what are they?
• What influences grouping tendencies?
• What are the major methods ofinformation exchange?