TYPES OF BEHAVIOR

Section 36.2

CATEGORIES OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

1. Foraging – locate, obtain, consume food

2. Migratory – move to a more suitable environment as seasons change

3. Defensive – protect from predators

4. Territorial – protect a resource for exclusive use

5. Courtship – attract a mate

6. Parental care – ensure survival of young

COMMUNICATION

Animals use signals to influence the behavior of other animals

Social animals – those that live in groups – have many forms of communication

There are different signals for different social situations

The signal must be something that can be easily sent and received

PRIMATE COMMUNICATION

Vocal communication is most developed in primates

Many have different sounds (‘words’) for different predators

Human language development begins at an early age – a child learns the language it hears spoken

Other forms of communication – body language – are also important

REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR

Each species has a unique courtship signal – prevents mating with the wrong species

Mate choice – in most animals the female evaluates a mate before choosing

The female has a higher ‘stake’ in the choice – more energy to have babies & care for them

Sexual selection – the mate is chosen based on a certain trait – fancy tail feathers in male birds

In some species the males compete with each other –often to select the strongest