Questions tagged [ethology]
The study of animal behaviour.
282
questions
0
votes
2
answers
82
views
Is 'disorientation event' a common term among biologists?
On the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources web page about the marine turtle conservation program it says, "When a hatchling sea turtle is attracted away from the ocean towards a direct or ...
- 197
7
votes
1
answer
8k
views
For how long can a raven stay airborne (a week or more)?
I'm wondering for how long a raven can stay continuously airborne, if strained to do so? If it makes a difference, I'm mostly interested in the Common raven, Corvus corax. Are there for instance any ...
- 35.6k
15
votes
1
answer
40k
views
Why do snails come out after the rain?
Many times, when there is rain after a long time, snails come out afterwards, and you can see snails and slugs everywhere! I have two questions:
Why do they come out after the rain?
Where are they ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
66
views
How do animals learns seductional behaviour?
I was curious how the gender behaviour, the male role or female role, is known in mammals. Do mammals instinctively know how to do seduce the opposed sex or do the animals learn it from their parents/...
- 737
7
votes
3
answers
624
views
Why do these earthworms stay between the road lines?
This article shows pictures of earthworms during floods in Texas. The worms ball up, supposedly in order to survive the floods.
Photo Credit: Texas Parks And Wildlife Department
Can anyone explain ...
- 21
1
vote
1
answer
49
views
Why are bees attracted to Stag Hides in Lime bath
A friend has some stag hides in lime-water solution. He noticed the stag hides were covered in bees of several different species. He also noticed that the nearby sheep hides in a similar bath have no ...
- 3,685
1
vote
1
answer
484
views
Is cannibalism part of mainstream food-chain?
There are some species who sometimes eat their own kinds. Is this cannibalism considered their regular food? Do the link in food-chain for those animals make a loop on themselves?
Can this statement: ...
- 393
1
vote
0
answers
66
views
Do non-human primates have mental disorders like humans?
I was at the zoo today and watched a gorilla pick at a scab on its finger, compulsively, until it started bleeding. Is this OCD or is it just a nervous thing that non-human primates do at the zoo? Do ...
- 1,582
15
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Do animals suffer from "Human" mental disorders?
It is tragic, but apparently Killer whales and Dolphins can commit suicide too (e.g. here)...
This suggests they can become depressed. I wondered whether they were "clinically" depressed like many ...
- 1,582
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Facultative Cannibalism?
I heard about Larger cats eating the cubs. Is it some kind of facultative cannibalism or they can eat there own kind like that?
What are the facultative cannibalism present in animal kingdom?
What ...
- 534
7
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Why do most animals never seem to evolve over millenia?
People often say, including those with extensive knowledge in biology, that a certain species of animal will evolve in one way or another:
From changing environments.
Mutations.
Possibly even genetic ...
- 534
0
votes
0
answers
353
views
Do flies avoid infrared light?
If flies avoid IR light, many places can be kept free from flies using IR light. We see insect repellers in many restaurants, but they don't seem to work well. Can IR be a safe & effective ...
- 29.9k
3
votes
1
answer
57
views
What's the smallest flier that migrates?
Painted ladies and monarchs migrate hundreds of miles (~1.61 hundreds of kms).
Are there long distance fliers that are significantly smaller?
Dual question: Are fliers' migration distances strictly ...
- 10.4k
14
votes
1
answer
587
views
Name and Behaviour of Arthropods near a Cactus
Background Story
I have a small, old cactus on my sunny, south-facing window sill in southern Germany. Since a few years, small black dots gathered around its pot. At first, I thought the dots were ...
- 29.9k
0
votes
0
answers
44
views
Is there animal other than human that can recognize distal causes?
We know animals can recognize proximate causes. For example, if animal A hits animal B and injures it then usually animal B is able to associate animal A with his injury. From our everyday experience ...
- 1,747
0
votes
0
answers
101
views
E.O. Wilson on sociobiology and the origin of morality
Somewhere in E.O Wilson's writing, he discusses how human values are rooted in our nature as a specific kind of animal. He argues that we have an identifiable optimal living place -- a grove at the ...
- 10.4k
5
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Why does ant queen keep the eggs out of her hive?
I have captured an ant queen and now I'm trying to create an artificial ant nest.
I have noticed that though she has dug a hole to hide in, she keeps the eggs out of it unless she feels that they ...
- 579
0
votes
1
answer
70
views
What's the relationship between oxygen consumption and ambient oxygen concentration for a lobster?
I was looking at a research paper by Thomas (1954) and came across a graph with ambient oxygen concentration plotted against oxygen consumption rate of a European lobster kept in water.
As we can see,...
- 1,025
3
votes
1
answer
81
views
Can multiple cetacean species communicate?
It seems that individuals within the same species have their own communication, but is there evidence to suggest that individuals from different species are able to communicate?
- 29.9k
5
votes
1
answer
342
views
What's the relationship between snail movement and rain?
I have a question about the relationship between snail and rain. A few days ago I found snail shells in a moist area and I brought them in for crafts work (I thought they were empty because snail ...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
31
views
The Tun state of a tardigrade
I was wondering How long does it take for a tardigrade to enter and exit the Tun state?
I'm doing a thesis on tardigrades for my B.S in biology and I haven't come along any information in the primary ...
- 52.4k
1
vote
0
answers
48
views
Who cleans the cleaner fish?
Cleaner fish are those fish that eat the dead skin cells and parasites off from other usually larger fish.
( such cleaners include wrasse, cichlids, catfish, shrimp etc )
I wondered if the cleaner ...
- 11
3
votes
1
answer
3k
views
If an insect becomes upside down, do they have mechanisms to turn themselves right side up?
This question is mainly applicable to beetle's and cockroaches. If I flip them so their legs point upward, they usually squirm around and wiggle trying to come back upright. Sometimes they succeed, ...
- 68.1k
21
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Do any animals other than humans undergo menopause?
Do any animals other than humans undergo menopause?
Also, is there any difference between animals in captivity and animals in the wild as regards menopause? For example, even if menopause has been ...
- 398
1
vote
1
answer
68
views
Why so fewer birds in the yard come late summer and early autumn?
We've enjoyed watching birds in our yard this past summer. We're in a suburb, fairly forested, inland northeastern USA hardiness zone 5. As we scaled up the amount of diversity and net primary ...
- 624
0
votes
1
answer
57
views
Will a dog develop similar feelings with a robot as like human?
I think we are connected to the world by Biochemistry first and then physical and verbal interactions. If a robot feeds a dog regularly, pampers it and cuddles it regularly, would it develop the same ...
- 765
2
votes
0
answers
31
views
Efficacy of sonic kangaroo deterrents
Bender (2003) tested the efficacy of sonic kangaroo deterrents. Their device is static (and apparently ineffective).
Has there been any rigorous testing of the whistle-like 'kangaroo deterrent' ...
- 68.1k
1
vote
0
answers
31
views
Is there mismatch in injures or death numbers for carnivores that hunt during day time and night time?
Is there significant mismatch in injures or death numbers for hunters (when hunter was killed or injured by its prey), between day time and night time hunts (carnivores that hunt during the day time ...
- 223
24
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Why do we laugh?
Why is it that the reaction we get from absurdity is laughter? Everyone does it, even babies. Is there a reason why it is our instinct to laugh when we see or hear something absurd/humorous
CommunityBot
- 1
8
votes
2
answers
222
views
Do animals demonstrate target practice (i.e., playful accuracy behavior)?
Do animals demonstrate any sort of accuracy-motivated play? (please provide examples!)
Consider most human sports and related hobbies. Most share the common goal of hitting a target or being accurate,...
- 5,230
1
vote
0
answers
65
views
Hamilton's rule: When to change the equation?
So, in class, my teacher gave two examples of using hamilton's rule. Let b= 4 and c=2.5.
The first was whether altruism would evolve between two diploid full siblings given these values. Since r=1/2, ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
199
views
Is it fine to state every learned behavior has an innate component ? ie. Behavior X is largely/ mostly laerned with an innate component
For example human acquisition of language, can we say it is learned, but has an innate component -- because there is a particular structure of the tongue, and perhaps also a specific cognitive ability ...
- 680
2
votes
0
answers
66
views
Why would a horse-fly quickly dip into water?
For several years I have noticed a large horse-fly, flying very quickly down to the surface of my pond (in Sweden), touch the surface, and fly off. Sometimes it dips down a few times, taking some ...
- 2,039
10
votes
2
answers
28k
views
How do other primates treat their fingernails?
Do all primates have to trim their fingernails in some way, or do some primates' fingernails wear off through natural use?
Also, is constant nail growth common to all primates?
1
vote
2
answers
2k
views
Territorial behavior in humans?
Do humans exhibit territorial behavior like other primates? I have seen people sometimes stare at others -- notably males -- and then physical fights spontaneously turn up. Is this territorial? It ...
- 68.1k
2
votes
1
answer
89
views
What do bats do if played ultra sound?
If there are bats flying in the cave, and I play the same pitch they use to echolocate from a speaker, what would the bats do?
- 121
4
votes
2
answers
328
views
Are there any pairs of animal species that regularly prey on other?
I don't mean cannibalism within a single species - I mean, are they are any pairs of species A and B such that members of species A regularly prey on members of species B, and also members of species ...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
81
views
Species that murder their own counterparts when put in captivity
Mary Midgley writes in her book, Beast and Man (p. 54 in this eBook: https://goo.gl/3NnhtP):
Lorenz gives chilling examples from roe deer and doves, in both of which species stronger members will ...
CommunityBot
- 1
4
votes
1
answer
766
views
Is there a distinction between the fisherian runaway theory and Fisher's sexy son theory?
In many websites/books they are referred to as part of the same process whereby:
"runaway" describing that the process continues even after traits become maladaptive
the "sexy son theory" explains ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
2
answers
228
views
Does human behaviour that is caused by inheritance depend on the environment and lifestyle in general?
Different breeds of common domesticated animals such as horses and dogs clearly show different behaviour, instincts, social relationships and similar, due to their biological inheritance. Still they ...
- 680
11
votes
1
answer
515
views
Dogs bark at familiar person in Santa costume. Why? Don't dogs trust smell over vision?
Last night 10 humans and 2 dogs spent Christmas together. At some point, one human dissappears for a few minutes and comes back wearing a full Santa outfit. Upon respawning, the dogs start barking ...
- 131
3
votes
0
answers
119
views
Why do lions keep young preys and don't kill them right away?
I saw some (actually several) videos on Youtube of young lions and lionesses that after hunting baby preys keep them and even seem to play with them. The lions don't seem to want to hurt them but they ...
- 131
4
votes
1
answer
502
views
What do you call clearly different sub-groups within a species?
If you look at species of bees and ants, you can clearly see there are drastically different specialized ants, like queen ants and workers. They're both part of the same species, yet are still ...
- 16.7k
2
votes
1
answer
147
views
Reason for specific location of a gnat swarm?
While checking on my yard trees, I noticed a tiny swarm of gnats above one small maple that has a metal cup holder stake used to help train the trunk straighter. Approximate swarm size of 20 - 30 ...
- 29.9k
4
votes
1
answer
268
views
Can platypuses communicate via electroreception?
I know at least some electroreceptive fish are capable of basic communication with other members of their species via varying their own bioelectric signals. However, I can't find any information as ...
- 1,117
2
votes
1
answer
212
views
What are the chances that Tyrannosaurus Rex could roar? [closed]
Tyrannosaurus Rex is now thought to have possibly had lips. Less of chance of it roar though I was told by a friend just because there are birds doesn’t mean they can’t.
Evolution isn't linear, just ...
- 29.9k
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Water-bird that can take off vertically from the water?
If you look at ducks taking off, they take off at a pretty flat angle, building up speed before they finally get some altitude. This takes a lot of distance, it seems, for them to get high in the air.
...
- 3,304
20
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Are there any animals that celebrate communally?
Are there any animals that are known to celebrate events? For example, we humans might celebrate a birthday or passing an important test. An event causes us to perform some sort of celebration that is ...
- 10.4k
7
votes
1
answer
705
views
Why does the olive tree produce a bitter tasting fruit?
What is the survival value for the olive tree to produce a bitter tasting fruit, even when it is ripened?
I realize some fruits and berries are species specific, i.e., meant for specific animals to ...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
4
answers
1k
views
Is every decision we make already "pre-programmed" because of DNA? [closed]
DNA has information about our cells and how every cell should act.
Since I am made entirely of cells, including things that make my mind, aren't decisions coded for by DNA by proxy of our cells.
...
CommunityBot
- 1