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Jacqueline Lau

jacchat@gmail.com

An introduction to

Animal behaviour

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we animals are the most complicated and perfectly-designed

pieces of machinery in the known universe it is hard to see why

anyone studies anything else.

~ Richard Dawkins (1989)

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Why animals behave the way they do

Behaviour: the way an animal reacts to changes in its external

or internal environment

Ask how the behaviour is triggered, controlled, performed

Ask why the behaviour exists

All behaviours effect the animals chances of survival and

reproduction

and the survival of their own species

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Behaviours related to:

Food

Cooperation and aggression

Reproduction: courtship and parental care

Cyclic and periodic: circadian, migration

Types of animal behaviour:

Nature vs Nurture

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Innate animal behaviour

Instinctive or inborn

Result of a long evolutionary process

Fully functional first time performed

Some improvement with performance or maturation

Nest building

Suckling

Weaving a web

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Learned behaviour

Acquired by experience

Learning by association

conditioning

by chance, trial and error

habituation

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P

avlovs dogs:Pavlovian conditioning

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Learning by association

- Stimulus > response

- Lots of repetitions to build the connection

- Rapid reinforcement

- Rewards or punishments

- Link decay > un-learning

but has limits

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Habituation: also a form of learning an animal ceases to

respond to a certain stimulus (which is neither harmful or

rewarding)

Exhaustion: when an animal ceases to respond to a certain

stimulus due to muscular fatigue, sensory exhaustion or

prolonged habituation

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Communication

The transfer of information from one individual to another

- Acoustic: bird songs, crickets, cicadas

- Visual: movement, colour, light

- Chemical: excretions, odour, pheromones

- Touch: grooming, stroking

- Electrical: fish

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e.g.

moths and other insects males release chemicals that attract females

bird courtship behaviour conspicuous male plumage; ritualised courtship

dances

Frogs and toads depth and loudness of croak are an indication of the callers

size

tail length in swallows are an indication of an individuals fitness

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Deliberate transfer of misinformation

A signal does not always imply the truth E.g. shrikes let out an alarm call when a rival shrike is

after the same prey it is pursuing

E.g. mimicry in butterflies and other insects

E.g. female nightjar limps or pretends to have a broken

wing, hopping away from its nest to lure a predator away

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Communication in insects (and others)

How do insects do that?

Recognise host plants

Find mates Signal alarm

Leave and follow trails

Aggregate

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. pheromones!

- chemicals released by an organism into its environment

enabling it to communicate with other members of its own

species

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Chemoreception

By

Smell Taste

Volatiles in air

Solubles in water

The antenna is the principal olfactory organ of insects

Specialised structures of the cuticle

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Cooperation and aggression

Group and social life

Why live in a group?

Direct benefits: food, mates, defence, survival, care of

offspring

Direct costs: competition for resources, parasites, diseases,

cannibals

Social behaviour in vertebrates

Cooperation

Mutualism

Manipulation

Reciprocation

Kin selection

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Eusociality in insects

Ants and termites

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The most abundant and dominant insects have the most complex

social organisation

Competitive advantage

Division of labour

Effect of individual errors insignificant

Collective effort: teamwork!

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Courtship and reproduction

competitive males and choosy females

Choices, choices:

Indications of good genes > viable offspring

Healthy males

Size, ornaments, badges of rank

Winners, not losers

Good territory, nest presentation

Nuptial gifts

Attractive traits are seldom just for fashion!

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Migration

Many animals migrate at certain times of the year

Avoid unfavourable conditions

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- Compass sense (long distances)

- Sun compass

- Polarised light- Magnetism

- Star constellations

- Olfaction

- Pilotage (local landmarks, limited distances/radius)

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Online resources

www.naturia.per.sg/buloh

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habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/

Online resources

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www.ecologyasia.com

Online resources

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Online resources

http://besgroup.talfrynature.com

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Online resources

http://butterflycircle.blogspot.com

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Books

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The best way to study animal behaviour

In the field!

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Thank you!

Photo credits:

Cai Yixiong

Lin Yangchen

Jacqueline Lau

Marcus Ng

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Practical applications from the study of animal

behaviour

Benefits to humans and animals

Sonar abilities of bats > sonar techniques (eg. Ultrasound

scanner, shipping sonars) Classical conditioning theory > learning principles in human

medicine (nutrition and diet during treatment therapy)

Experimental research

Mimicry