Everything that an animal does, and the way in which behaviour. All animals respond to their surroundings. A cat, for example,
will arch its back when threatening a rival, but lower its body when stalking a
mouse. An animal’s behaviour enables
it to increase its chances of survival and find a mate so that it can pass on
its genes to the next generation. Some behaviours are inbuilt, or instinctive;
others are learned during the animal’s lifetime.
it does, makes up
its Instinctive Behavior
Instinct is a term used to describe behaviours that an
animal performs automatically without having to learn them. Instinctive behavior
is programmed by an animal’s genes. It consists of unchanging components called
fixed-action patterns. The fixed-action pattern often begins when an animal
responds to a feature in its surroundings or on another animal, called a sign
stimulus.
Sign Stimulus: In the spring, when these freshwater fish
breed, the male’s throat and belly turn. If one male intrudes into the territory
of another male, its red color acts as a sign stimulous that produces a
fixed-action pattern: the occupying fish drives out the intruder.
Egg rolling: Greylag geese nest on the ground. If an egg
rolls out of the nest, the female goose automatically reaches out with her neck
and pulls the egg back in. By being in the wrong place, he egg acts as a sign
stimulus that causes the female to carry out the fixed action pattern of egg
rolling.
Learned Behaviour
Learning occurs when an animal adapts to its surroundings by
changing its behavior. By responding to experiences and adapting to changing
conditions, an animal increases its chances of survival. Learning takes time,
and animals that are dependent on learned behavior have long lives and large
brains.
Trial and Error learning: An animal will associate an action
it carries out with a successful result, such as getting food or defeating a
rival. This “reward” motivates the animal to alter its behavior to improve the
result of future actions.
Learning tool use: Some animals learn to use simple “tools” in
order to feed. Sea otters, found off the coast of California, USA, swim on
their backs with a stone on their chests on which they smash the shells of
clams and mussels to get at the juicy contents. Young otters learn tool use
from their parents.
Insight learning: This involves a form of reasoning. Some
animals can solve new problems by drawing on past experiences. Chimpanzees,
having learned to extract termites or ants from a nest with a stick, can
exploit any shape or size of nest.
Imprinting: This is shown by some young animals that make a
strong bond with their parent soon after hatching or birth. Young ducklings,
for example, stay close to their mother and improve their chances of survival
under her protection.
