BASC103A - Module 3 (Animal Behavior)

Animal behavior

Actions performed by an animal in response to internal/external stimuli

Ingestive

- eating action; eating of food & drinking water to sustain body energy throughout the day (form of innate behavior)

Internal Stimuli

stimuli from its own body signals

Indicators of Good Animal Welfare

- Alertness & curiosity - Normal range of activities - Interaction w/other members - Interaction w/humans - Playing

Maintenance and Reproductive Behavior

2 Categories of Normal Behavior

Reflex, Instinct, Ingestive, Body care, Thermoregulatory, Taxis, Migration, Aestivation, Hibernation

Enumerate the 9 Forms of Innate Behavior

Reflex

- automatic/autonomic response; involves no conscious control - Ex: normal reflex when touching hot is to pull away (form of innate behavior)

Social Behavior

Maintenance behavior that is related with the animal’s ability to communicate w/others

Flehmen reaction

rolling/curling of lips when pheromones are smelled (dogs, hamsters)

Innate Behavior

Maintenance behavior that is genetically determined & animals are born w/this ability

Instinct

- complex innate behavior/response; not taught - Ex: suckling in newborn; nest building in birds (form of innate behavior)

Significance of animal behavior in animal welfare

- To know the animal’s feelings - To know the animal’s choices - To know the animal’s reactions

Territorial

- way of defending a physical space against other members of its species; prevents over-crowding & increases survival in case of fighting - Territorial dogs may be aggressive resulting to biting (form of social behavior)

Thermoregulatory

- to attain optimum body temperature - Animals would take shade under trees to avoid sun heat; would pant - When cold they will shiver; will result to herd-gallop to raise body temperature (form of innate behavior)

Causes of agonistic behavior

- Formation of new groups; results to fighting specially in cattle - Entry of new individual in a well-established group - Competition for limited food supply & bedding space - Competition for mates

Browser

term used to describe animals that eats above the plant

Reproductive Behavior

essential for the perpetuation of new individuals; there are certain behavioral traits in female & male animals

tongue rolling

form of abnormal behavior that's seen in calves or young cattle; associated w/psychological behavioral frustration

Grazer

term used to describe animals that eats at the middle of the plant

External/Environmental Stimuli

stimulus from environment

Body care

- to attain comfort (autogrooming vs allogrooming); done to prevent disease & parasitism; includes scratching & licking; sick animals wouldn’t clean their bodies (form of innate behavior)

Rooter

term used to describe animals that eats below the plant

Indicators of Poor Animal Welfare

- Limited range of activity - Panting or sweating (indicates hot environmental temperature) - Huddling & shivering (indicates cold temperature) - Depression & inactivity (indicates sickness) - Abnormal fear or aggression w/humans

Taxis

- reaction to specific environmental stimulus (form of innate behavior)

Ethology

branch of animal science that deals w/ behavior; useful for animal welfare

Migration

- seasonal movement of animals to other places; usually to warmer areas (form of innate behavior)

Habituation

- no punishment or reward involved; animal is repeatedly given stimulus - Ex: horses wouldn’t move when cars go by (form of learned behavior)

Wallowing

playing in mud or water to cool down

Hibernation

- state of deep sleep; body temp, oxygen consumption & breathing rate decreases to conserve energy (bats, hamster, hedgehogs, bears) (form of innate behavior)

Trial & Error

- animal keeps trying until correct response is made to attain the reward; reward is expected (form of learned behavior)

feather picking

form of abnormal behavior that's associated w/loss of diet, poor ventilation (chickens)

Agonistic Behavior

all forms of behavior in animals which is in conflict w/other animals

Phototaxis

meaning light; movement of organism towards a light source

Courtship dances

- body movement to attract mates specially in spiders, birds (form of social behavior)

Learned Behavior

Maintenance behavior that is acquired from practice/experience

Habituation, Imprinting, Classical Conditioning, Trial & Error

Enumerate the 4 Forms of Learned Behavior

Pheromonal, Courtship dances, Territorial

Enumerate the 3 Forms of Social Behavior

Aestivation

- state of reduced metabolism; occurs to animals living in intense heat (done by snails & slugs) (form of innate behavior)

Maintenance Behavior

This behavior has 3 subtypes: innate, learned, & social

Imprinting

- social attachment to object during “critical period” - Ex: when you pick a baby bird, it may think you are the mother (form of learned behavior)

head shaking

form of abnormal behavior that's associated w/irritation & nervousness (chickens)

Behavioral Pattern

- Organized segment of behavior having a special function may be developed through playing or social contact w/other animals - Under influence of environmental stimulation & genetic factors - Varies with sexes, breed, strain, individual, & climate, & other factors

Classical Conditioning

- associated w/a specific stimulus; animals learn to associate one event to another event; association of closely related events - In Pavlov’s experiment, ringing of bell (acts as a stimuli) indicates food (form of learned behavior)

Tail-biting

form of abnormal behavior that's associated w/stress & discomfort (pigs)

Pheromonal

- communicates through chemical messengers; associated w/pheromone chemicals - Ex: ants would communicate through pheromones (form of social behavior)

Female reproductive behaviors (during estrus)

- Restlessness, bellowing, & twitching of tail (specially in cows) - Urinating stance (for horses); frequent urination is also evident - seeking for the opposite sex (in sheep)

Male reproductive behaviors (increased libido)

- Nosing of perineum (smelling of vulva) - Flicking out of tongue - Bleating (in goats, sheep)

Bleating

producing of unusual low-pitch sounds (in goats, sheep)

Avenues for the prevention of abnormal behavior

- Improve/alter housing - Provide adequate space to avoid overcrowding - Suitable beddings - Adequate exercise - Adequate roughages & balanced diet - Separation of sick or injured animals from healthy ones

Chemotaxis

movement of organism towards a chemical source

Abnormal/Anomalous Behavior

repeated behavior aberrations

crib-biting/cribbing

form of abnormal behavior that's seen in horses; associated w/stress & gastrointestinal irritability

Causes of Abnormal Behaviors

- Overcrowding - Monotonous environment - Suppression of natural instinct - Inadequate exercise - Malnutrition & nutritional imbalance