Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
Directions:
Fill in the blanks.
Introduction to Animal Behavior Segment
1. Animal Behavior
• Examines the reaction of an animal to a certain stimulus
• Indicates how an animal _____________ with its environment
• _____________internal and external factors as well as learned
activities
Clinic Corner: Stimulus is an agent, action or condition causing a response
2. Normal Behavior
• Is defined as individual behavior which is _____________to those of
the same species
• For animals includes the following examples:
– relaxed
– alert
– stand, sit or _____________comfortably
– ears up and forward
3. Abnormal Behavior
• Is defined as individual behavior which is not similar to those of the
same species
• For companion animals includes the following examples:
– showing aggression
– exhibiting a stiff body posture
– shaking
– avoiding direct eye contact
– laying ears _____________or back on the head
– lowering their body or tail to the ground
– bearing _____________
– raising the tail
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 1
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
4. Abnormal Behavior
• For exotic animals include the following examples:
– _____________feathers
– self-mutilating
– rocking
– pacing
– showing aggression
– exhibiting _____________behavior
– biting
5. Abnormal Behavior
• For large animals include the following examples:
− laying ears flat or back on the head
− weaving
− circling
− _____________
− cribbing
− showing _____________
− kicking
− biting
Clinic Corner: Cribbing is an abnormal, compulsive behavior which involves
horses grabbing a solid object, arching its neck, pulling against the object
and sucking in air.
6. Animal Behavior
• Is studied to help understand _____________behavior, instincts and
social interactions
• Is paired against human behavior in _____________psychology to
analyze a specific action and see if the two share similarities
7. Animal Behavior
• Is researched in _____________psychology to better understand how
humans and animals have adapted to living in their environments over
the years
• Helps scientists study _____________, which examines social
behaviors in animals and humans and shows the evolutionary
advantages of such behaviors
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 2
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
8. Animal Behavior
• Research areas include:
– genetics
– instinct
– _____________
– body homeostasis
9. Genetics
• Studies the science of heredity and variation of inherited traits among
related organisms
• Explain _____________, which animals are born with
• Control some behaviors, such as _____________, which is shared by
most animals whereas other actions are unique to certain animals
Clinic Corner: Instinct are an inborn pattern of behavior which is
characteristic of a species, often a response to their environment.
10. Instinct
• Is an innate or fixed behavioral response
• Causes a newborn kangaroo to crawl into the mother’s pouch and
begin nursing
• Tells a newly hatched _____________gull to peck a small red spot on
its mother’s beak in order to be fed
• Allows a _____________to build a perfect web for the first time despite
having no previous experience with webs
11. Ethology
• Is the study of animal behavior, especially in a natural environment
• Examines instinctive and _____________nature in early development
• Observes natural processes such as _____________, courtship,
mating and self defense
• Monitors animal welfare influences by internal, external and learned
factors
Clinic Corner: Welfare is the health, happiness and well-being of an animal
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 3
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
12. Body Homeostasis
• Describes an environment which supports the survival of cells inside
an organism
• Is achieved by all body systems working together to maintain body
temperature, _____________and oxygen levels
• Occurs at different levels in different _____________
• Operates both internally and externally
Clinic Corner: A dog will curl into a ball and use its tail to cover its nose to
minimize heat loss during cold weather.
Pheromones Segment
1. Pheromones
• Are chemicals _____________by an animal which influence the
behavior of others in the same species
• Include the following:
– aggregation
– alarm
– _____________
– territorial
– trail
– sex
2. Aggregation Pheromones
• Promote the _____________of animals
• Attract both male and female animals
• Influence animals to form groups of _____________, migration and
mating
Clinic Corner: Spiny lobsters use aggregation pheromones to create safety
in numbers by forming groups to wave spiny antennae in order to deter
predators.
3. Alarm Pheromones
• Warn animals of possible _____________
• Trigger _____________and aggressive behavior
• Emitted by one animal in a group will cause others to respond
Clinic Corner: Alarm pheromones excreted from the stinger of a worker bee
singles other bees to the treat, explaining why once one bee has stung,
others move in
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 4
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
4. Epideictic Pheromones
• Are known as _____________pheromones
• Regulate population _____________
• Affect the colonization or extent of exploration of a plant resource
• Helps parasites identify healthy hosts from parasitized ones
Clinic Corner: Flies will produce epideictic pheromones when laying eggs
to deter other female flies from laying larvae in the same spot.
5. Territorial Pheromones
• Define the claimed area of specific organisms
• Warn other animals of nearby _____________animal
• Can be used to _____________other animals, such as an ant from
another colony
Clinic Corner: Dogs deposit territorial pheromones, present in their urine on
landmarks to mark the boundaries of their terrain.
6. Trail Pheromones
• Allow animals to follow one another
• Lead to food sources, new _____________and prey animals to kill
• _____________lost animals to find the group by following scent
Clinic Corner: When found walking in a straight line, ants are actually
following the trail pheromone left behind from the ant in front of them
7. Sex Pheromones
• Attract the opposite sex in animals
• Allow animals to _____________when the opposite sex is ready to
mate
• Are often used by predators to _____________prey into capture
Clinic Corner: When a female dog is in heat, she is exerting sexual
pheromone which can attract male dogs from more than a mile away
Hormones Segment
1. Hormones
• Are chemical substances in the body _____________specific
physiological processes
• Affecting animal behavior
• Include the following:
– _____________hormones
– amino acid hormones
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 5
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
2. Steroid Hormones
• Are _____________substances for the proper function of the body
• Are in charge of many physiological functions
• Affecting animal _____________include:
– sex hormones
3. Sex Hormones
• Are responsible for sexual development and reproduction
• Include the following _____________hormones:
– estrogen
– progesterone
• Include the following _____________hormone:
– testosterone
4. Estrogen
• Induces _____________and prepares the uterus for reception of a
fertilized egg
• Causes females to be receptive to males for mating
• Attracts males from more than a _____________away
Clinic Corner: During estrus, also known as “heat”, housecats experience
an elevated release of estrogen causing agitated behavior.
5. Progesterone
• Is produced in the _____________and helps the body prepare for
conception and pregnancy
• Regulates the monthly _____________cycle
• Also plays a role in maintaining pregnancy
6. Pregnancy
• Inhibits activity among females, decreasing the amount of time spent
walking or standing and increasing the amount of time sleeping
• Increases the amount of food a female will _____________
• Causes females to become more _____________and aggressive
towards other animals and humans
Clinic Corner: The Asian Elephant’s pregnancy last for 22 months
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 6
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
7. Testosterone
• Stimulates the development of the male sex organs and sperm
• Leads to a hierarchy in most animals, the _____________male having
the highest level of testosterone
• Causes males to seek females for _____________and accounts for
aggressive behavior toward other males during this time
Clinic Corner: When two male dogs are seeking the same female, the dog
with higher level of testosterone will succeed in obtaining the female
8. Amino Acid Hormones
• Are derived from amino acids and _____________from the adrenal
medulla
• Affecting animal behavior include:
– epinephrine
– _____________
Clinic Corner: The adrenal medulla is located in the center of the adrenal
gland which is located at the top of each kidney and produces hormones.
9. Epinephrine
• Is also known as adrenaline
• Is a hormone released in _____________to short term stress
• Increases the _____________rate, blood pressure and blood glucose
levels
• Is closely related to norepinephrine
10. Norepinephrine
• Is also known as the flight or fight hormone
• Releases in response to physical or _____________stress such as
fear or injury
• Accelerates heart rate and raises blood pressure
• Is released during a _____________, resulting in animals being
aggressive for several hours afterwards
Clinic Corner: When dogs fight or feel threatened, high levels of
norepinephrine are released causing them to become hostile to both the
aggressor and surrounding animals
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 7
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
External Factors Affecting Animal Behavior Segment
1. External Factors
• Include the following:
– environment
– communication
– _____________rituals
– threats to _____________
2. Environment
• Includes the surroundings, influences and _____________placed upon
an organism
• Influences how an animal feeds and reproduces
• Shapes how animals will _____________to new situations, including
the introduction of humans
• Includes:
– threats to safety
3. Threats to Safety
• Occurs when predators attack, unknown creatures appear or animals
feel trapped
• Cause animals to become _____________and aggressive
• Result in a _____________or fight situation
4. Communication
• Is classified and described based on the ways animals receive signals
• Includes the following:
– chemoreception
– mechanoreception
– _____________communication
– vocal communication
– _____________rituals
5. Chemoreception
• Describes the physiological response to a chemical stimulus
• Includes recognizing and exhibiting _____________and identifying
substances based on taste
• Explains behavior in animals such as constant __________and sniffing
Clinic Corner: Butterflies have chemoreceptors on their feet allowing them
to sense different strengths and types of nectar.
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 8
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
6. Mechanoreception
• Expresses an animal’s response to a physical stimulus
• Includes communicating through _____________
• Includes the following:
– substratum
• through the _____________or other foundation
– acoustic
• through the air or water
Clinic Corner: Spiders use their web to “pluck” (i.e. send vibrations) mating
calls to one another
7. Visual Communication
• Leads to competition among males for the most impressive displays to
attract females
• Wards off other _____________competitors
• Is displayed through facial expressions and _____________language
• Alerts predators to the position of their prey
Clinic Corner: Male peacock’s brightly colored tails are used to impress
and attract female peacocks, but also attract predators.
8. Vocal Communication
• Is made by the giving and receiving of audible noises from one animal
to another
• In _____________and whales include making clicks and squeals to
inform others of feeding, migration and location
• In elephants involve emitting _____________pitched sounds, below
the level of human hearing, which draws in other elephants from miles
away
9. Courtship Rituals
• Attract members of the opposite sex for mating
• Include jumping, _____________, singing or displaying decorations
• Cause males to become more _____________and aggressive, often
leading to a fight with rival suitors
Clinic Corner: Male grasshoppers can produce more than 400 mating
songs, each with a different meaning
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 9
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
Learned Behavior Segment
1. Learned Behavior
• Occurs as a result of experience, transforming animals to be more
adaptive than _____________in behaviors
• Includes the following:
– habituation
– conditioning
– _____________
– playing
– reasoning
– imprinting
2. Habituation
• Occurs when an animal becomes accustomed to a particular situation
due to _____________repetition
• Results from exposure to an event which merits no reward or
punishment
• Leads to an animal completely ignoring an event it once would
consider dangerous, such as _____________becoming accustomed to
passing cars
3. Conditioning
• Occurs when animals learn to respond to a stimulus in a certain way
due to _____________from a reward or punishment
• Includes the following forms:
– conditional
• pairs a neutral _____________with one eliciting a response
until the neutral stimulus itself causes the response
– operant
• causes an animal to associate a certain behavior with pain
or pleasure to either reinforce or discourage this behavior
4. Observation
• Takes place when one animal _____________the actions of another
and learns from those actions
• Occurs when a young _____________learns social behavior from
watching its mother and other members of the group
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 10
Animal Behavior
-Student Notes
5. Playing
• Is an important way of learning for animals
• Helps animals learn _____________and become more successful
predators as adults
• Prepares young animals for _____________in adulthood
6. Reasoning
• Involves an animal responding correctly to a _____________the first
time presented
• Takes place when an animal uses past _____________to make a
decision regarding its actions
7. Imprinting
• Is rapid learning which occurs during a brief _____________period,
often right after birth or hatching
• Is _____________
Accompanies:
Animal Behavior 11
