Animal Behavior Notes

All living organisms show some reasonable reaction to the external atmosphere. The reaction is also visible or automatic expression in response to stimuli. Stimuli may be chemical, physical, or external substances, i.e. light, heat, radiation, sound, touch, gravity, and so on The expression of organisms in response to the external environment is termed behavior. The study of behavior is called ethology.

Varieties of Animal behavior:

• Innate or stereotypic behavior: this kind of behavior includes genetic mechanisms with that animals face the environment. The innate behavior is migration, leadership, mating, dominance, etc. it's genetic behavior therefore it may be transmitted although generation to generation.
•  Learned behavior: this sort of animal behavior is learned through the course of the life cycle, i.e. type past experience. this sort of animal behavior is brief lived and depends on the memory of organisms.

Types of Animal Behavior

• Reflex action The rapid or immediate response to the stimulus is called reflex action. It is automatic or unconscious. Reflex action is also known as an automatic response. There are two types of reflex action
  Simple reflexes: Simple reflexes are innate or not learned, for example closing the eyes when approaching an object and secreting saliva in the mouth when seeing sour food -soft. 
  
  Conditional reflexes: responses elicited by learning or experiences, for example, the ringing of a bell and the secretion of saliva in dogs. 
  
  Mechanism of reflex action: the center of reflex action is the spinal cord. Afferent fiber or sensory fiber enters the spinal cord through the dorsal root and carries the impulse from the effector organ to the spinal cord. The efferent or motor fiber passes through the ventral root and carries impulses from the spinal cord to the effector organ. The spinal cord regulatory neuron communicates between afferent and efferent neurons.

• .TAXIS The movement of animals towards or away from the stimulus is called a taxi. Taxis can be negative or positive. The distance from the stimulus is called a negative taxi and the movement towards the stimulus is called a positive taxi. 
  
  Thermotaxis: is the response to the temperature stimulus. For example, in winter we attract heat and in summer we move away from heat.
  Phototaxis: it is the response to the stimulus of light. For example, cockroaches and earthworms move away from the light. Euglena walks towards the light. 
  
  Geotaxis: The response to the stimulus of gravity is called geotaxis. Earthworms burrow deep into the ground. 
  
  Rheotaxis: the response to the stimulus of the water current. Circulate in the direction of the water current. Chemotaxis: is the answer to chemicals. Mosquitoes fly away from the burning spiral. Sociotaxis: it is a response to groups or families. The man attracts to the family. Clinotaxis: In some organisms, the receptor cells are distributed over the surface of the body, mainly on the dorsal surface of the anterior part. They try to orient their body by leaning first one way and then the other until the receptors on both sides are equally stimulated. 
  
  Tropotaxis: The orientation of the body in response to a stimulus is straight and not lateral like clinotaxis due to the presence of receptor organs in pairs. for example.Lice and ticks.
  Telotaxis: Animals orient towards any stimulus when stimulated by two sources of stimuli. The bee moves towards the flowers in the presence of light and in the evening leaves the flowers and moves into the hives. 
  
  Menotaxis: Animals orient their bodies in response to the stimulus at a constant angle. The ant moves in a path guided by the direction of the sun. 
  
  Mnemotaxis: some animals orient their body towards different types of stimuli. Wasps use light direction, landmarks, and evidence of leftover chemicals.

• LEADERSHIP The property of giving advice, control, and safety to other members is called leadership. Leadership requires a leader. A true leader will be the one who initiates, stabilizes, or integrates the group. It is found in socially organized animals - ants, bees, birds, mammals, monkeys, relatives, etc. show this property. Leadership increases cooperation among members.

• MIGRATION Migration is defined as the active or passive movement of animals from one habitat to another.
  
  FISH MIGRATION BEHAVIOR 
  The movement or migration of fish from one place to another for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection is called the migratory behavior of fish.
  Types of fish migration Catadromous migration: The migration of fish from freshwater to seawater is called catadromous migration. This migration is mainly for breeding purposes. They lay their eggs in deep water and die there. The new larvae return to the cold water at the place of origin and grow. This behavior is illustrated by Anguilla bengalensis
  Adnanomous migration: The migration of fish from seawater to freshwater, especially for breeding purposes, is called anadromous migration. They spawn in deep water and die. ……… ex. Salmon. Oceanodrome migration: Migration, which is limited to the ocean to find food, is called oceanodrome migration. for example Clupea. Potamodromic migration Migration confined to freshwater for food is called potamodromic migration. Ex. Carp fish 
  MIGRATORY BEHAVIOR OF BIRDS Longitudinal migration: Migration from east to west or vice versa is called longitudinal migration. 
  
  Latitudinal migration: Migration from north to south and vice versa is called latitudinal migration,  ex.Ducks. 
  
  Altitudinal migration: Migration from the mountain region to the plain and vice versa is an altitudinal migration. This migration occurs due to the change of seasons. In summer the birds fly to the mountains and in winter they return to the plains. for example.

ANIMAL ADAPTATION
Adaptation to the environment or to the character of animals to adapt to their environment is called animal adaptation.

 Aquatic adaptation Adaptation to the aquatic environment is aquatic adaptation. The characters of aquatic adaptation animals are 

• Elongated and slender body, in the body there are the fins, there is the tail for the change of direction.
• There are gills for breathing, Lateral line present in the body as a sensitive organ, Air chambers are present for swimming.
• The neck is short
• The outer ear is missing
• Scales are present instead of hairs
• Some animals have swampy feet.
• The body is spongy and light
• The capacity to hold air is great in the lungs.
  
  Amphibious adaptation
• Adaptation to both water and male environment is called amphibious adaptation
  For water
• Nictitating membrane is present
• Webbed feet are present
• Skin respiration
• The body is elongated and in boat shape
• Fins are present
• Gills and lateral lines are present
  For land
• Muscles are strong for jumping
• Hind limbs are long and strong
• Lungs are present for pulmonary breathing
• Fingers are present
• The spine is short

Ground adaptation
Ground adaptation is called terrestrial adaptation It is of the following types
Tree adaptation
Adaptation to living on trees or walls is called an adaptation of tree The character are

• The trailers are fitted with adhesive pads
• The claws are present
• The forelimbs are well developed
• The size of the body is small tite
• The tail is long and prehensile
• The bones of the intura is strong
• Ex. for monkeys, squirrels, bats, wall lizard

Volant adaption
The fly cut is the Volant cut is called the Volant cut. There are two types of flight
True flight or active flight

• · The body is aerodynamic.
• The forelimbs are modified into wings
• The body is covered with feathers
• The tail is also feathered
• The bones are spongy, light, and hollow (pneumatic)
• The flight muscles are developed
• The beak is present and the teeth absent
• · The air sacs are present in the lungs which help to fly
• · The eyes and the ear are developed
• · Eg. birds and insects

Temporary flight or passive flight

• Some fish can fly using fins eg. Exocetus
• Some frogs can fly using webbed legs, e.g. Rhacophorus
• Some reptiles have patagium, which helps flying, e.g. Draco
• The folded skin of the flying fox helps to fly

Fussorial adaptation
Adaptation to life in underground burrows is called fussorial adaptation. The characters are

• The muzzle is pointed
• The incisors are developed
• The muscles are developed
• The claws are developed
• The scales are developed and the size of the tail is reduced
• The body is elongated and the limbs are absent
• The eye and the ear is reduced

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