Questions tagged [behaviour]
The set of actions performed by an organism within a given environment
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Do animals suffer in agony or pain the same way like homo sapiens suffer?
When an animal suffer in agony or pain, do they feel it the same way as homo sapiens or human beings?
I saw a documentary where it showed that while the child cattle were being slaughtered mother ...
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Why do some children refuse to eat? Is this more prevalent in some cultures and eras, or universal for the human species?
Some children are specially problematic to accept normal food. This happens equally in all human cultures and all epochs (i.e. is it a biological condition), or is it related to culture and family ...
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Identify this giant green moth(?) with great taste?
One evening in late February I sat down to eat dinner after a day of hiking in hills around New Taipei City and discovered that someone else shared my taste in clothes. A very large green moth-like ...
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1answer
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Can you explain the behavior of this snake?
I just saw this video in which a snake is swallowing a grape.
("Whip snake eating grapes").
In the video, the snake just doesn't eat but goes on to swallow 2-3 grapes.
I did some research on the ...
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48 views
What is this animal and what is it doing?
So, I found this fella while I was walking on the golf course by my house. Initially, I wasn’t sure it was an animal at all.
I’m sorry the picture isn’t better, but I didn’t want get close without ...
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Do haplotypes have a role to play in the aggression of a human?
there are a couple research papers that connect haplotypes and aggressiveness in canines. Our genes, for example the MAOA gene in the X-chromosome, have also been shown to affect aggression. But can ...
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Why does this spider have its third pair of legs raised?
It's hard to tell in this picture, but this Daddy Long Legs spider is sitting with its body and legs flush against the wall with only its third pair of legs raised and resting on its web.
Why it is ...
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108 views
Genetic variance for a behavioural trait among human populations
From this article from The Guardian:
We instinctively assume that differences in behaviour that are in fact due to culture must be linked to – even caused by – characteristics of appearance. That ...
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1answer
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What's the technical terminology for call-and-respond type behaviour?
The groups of some species such as water birds display a behavior that once out of line-of-sight a member will periodically initiate an interaction by make some type of sound, which will be followed ...
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Examples of animals who 'forget' their offspring
Occasionally on the news I read about young children dying in hot cars on a sunny day. Usually the article reports that the parent(s) 'forgot' about their children still being in the car.
Obviously ...
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Are there solitary animals communicating with themselves?
I can imagine 3 different kinds of communication between individuals:
Communication between individuals of the same species.
Communication between an individual and another from a different species.
...
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Predatory animal tracking methods
As far as I know, humans are the only animals that use visual references to track prey that is not immediately visible to them.
Do any other animals do this?
I'm not referring to stalking prey ...
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Why are children so violent, compared to other adolescent animals, when they play?
When children play it is frequent that someone starts crying, suffers minor injuries and that they are intentionally mean towards each other (e.g., bite, pull hair, throws sand, pushes someone so they ...
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2answers
59 views
Nature versus nurture regarding aggression in specific dog breeds
A week ago I was bitten in my face by a dog that originally came from an asylum. That dog is half Rottweiler. Some people claim that the history of the dog is probably different from what the asylum ...
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1answer
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Looking for books on How the limbic system works and it role in non-verbal behavior
This is my first post. I just read and I'm currently studying a book called "How everybody works" as a guide to understanding nonverbal behaviors.
After I'm done studying it and while I experiment ...
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1answer
38 views
What are some examples of animals who return to their group when threatened?
Based on my (limited) understanding, some types of animals use the power of numbers for protection. I assume, then, some species instinctively respond to threat by immediately seeking out and joining ...
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1answer
58 views
Why are ducks more cautious than pigeons?
In my city park there are mostly two types of bird:
Mallard ducks
Rock doves (pigeons)
When I feed pigeons, they approach me very closely. Sometimes they peck the food that fell on my feet. If I ...
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1answer
81 views
What are the various types of plugs found in a bee house and how do they help us with identification?
I have a Mason bee house with small tubes that is currently buzzing with life but I am completely clueless about what's in there. Some plugs seem made of clay, some of crushed leaves, some of resin, ...
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Anybody know of any sources/papers on wild animals identifying birds by their calls/sounds?
I'm doing a literature review about identifying birds, and was hoping to find some examples of animals being able to identify birds by sound (eg a mouse knowing the normal call of a sparrow is not the ...
2
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1answer
48 views
Why squirrel behaviour varies greatly throughout India?
Common squirrels seen in India, probably Indian palm squirrels; seem to have drastic different behaviour. And all squirrels of a definite locality, behave in a very consistently same whay. That seems ...
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1answer
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How do bullfrogs eat?
I have a very small pond in my backyard and a bullfrog lives in it. I see him all the time, but I never see him eat anything. He either sits in the water with his head just above the water or he sits ...
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1answer
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Are there any animal species other than humans & chimps that engage in tribal conflicts?
i.e., between tribes within the specie.
(For chimps, see, e.g., https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160130-animals-insects-ants-war-chimpanzees-science.)
Am seeking examples to develop ...
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Why is there a weevil on top of a beetle?
A click beetle was walking around and there is a weevil on top of it.
Any idea why? I would also like to know the exact species of these insects.
!
Time: 18:50, place: Netherlands / Noord-Hollands ...
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What do ants do with gypsum pellets?
I've noticed that ants are collecting the little gypsum gardening pellets (used to treat clay-ish soil to help plants use the soil), from about a meter away from their hive entrance.
A string of ...
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1answer
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Why do we develop addiction? [duplicate]
Recently, while on the train, I saw a person not holding the handrails on purpose. He decided that playing a game with no outcome whatsoever was more important than his safety. In fact, he bumped into ...
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1answer
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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/...
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Are there five common fear responses in animals?
It's been claimed on psy SE that are five common fear responses Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn, and Faint (or maybe fright, flight, fight, freeze, fawn as in a post further linked from there).
To me ...
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1answer
130 views
Why are mules/donkeys aggressive when faced with predators but horses are not?
I came upon an interesting quote after going down the rabbit hole on a variety of subjects. While deep in the data, I came upon this quote
oat and farm animal owners likes to have mules with their ...
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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 ...
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Do orcas react differently to swimmers in orca-like dresses?
Question on animal behaviour. This video shows the trainers of the orcas in swimming pool with them. Why do they use orca-like dresses? Is it just for the show, or do orcas then treat them more ...
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2answers
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Identifying a mysterious bird in the writings of Hebrew prophet Jeremiah
In Jeremiah 17:11, the verse states:
קֹרֵ֤א דָגַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָלָ֔ד עֹ֥שֶׂה עֹ֖שֶׁר וְלֹ֣א בְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט
בַּחֲצִ֤י ימו [יָמָיו֙] יַעַזְבֶ֔נּוּ וּבְאַחֲרִית֖וֹ יִהְיֶ֥ה נָבָֽל׃
Like a 'korei' ...
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Why do fruit flies go so close to large reservoirs of liquid when they are likely to fall in due to surface tension?
I had accidentally left out half a glass of red wine by the windowsill when I went to sleep. As anyone knows, if you do this with a window cracked you will get quite a few fruit flies near it in that ...
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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 ...
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2answers
81 views
Has an ape ever drawn/painted something?
I know there are plenty of examples of apes making paintings and drawings, but has there ever been a recorded case of one representing something in their art?
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2answers
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Is feeding birds only after a snowstorm helpful or harmful?
We had a very rare snowstorm here which left the ground covered in 8" of snow and trees covered in snow and ice. It'll likely all melt away in the coming days as we have sunny days and temps rise ...
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1answer
196 views
Why don't intelligent animals like primates use plastic bags? [duplicate]
I'll be honest here. Although this is a serious question, what made me wonder about it is this comic from Wumo:
This question is not specific to monkeys. It applies to animals that live with or ...
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1answer
56 views
How much of human's behaviors and preference can be explained by evolution? [closed]
I'm talking about things like the tendency to feel sleepy after eating, avoidance of excrements, general preference for sweet foods, etc. Do all those characteristics have biological or evolutionary ...
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1answer
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How exactly do birds get drunk eating fruit? Fermentation should be anaerobic
The Washington Post article Drunk birds are causing havoc in a Minnesota town. Police say they’ll sober up soon. describes birds becoming intoxicated after eating berries:
“The Gilbert Police ...
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2answers
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How can skull size difference alone explain behavioral differences using evolutionary theory?
I just started Robert Sapolsky lectures series on Youtube on Human behavior biology, and on the second lecture, at this point, he is explaining how evolutionary biology can be used to predict lots of ...
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1answer
53 views
Why ravens play with garbage?
Why ravens play with small plastic details and other garbage?
Could you explain how this behavior was formed by evolution for birds-scavengers?
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1answer
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Why do (some) cats chase their own tail?
Is this just playful behaviour or are they unaware that it's their own body part ?
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Honeybee relatedness: workers and nephews
This is my first question on this site. If anyone could help me get to the bottom of it, I would be very grateful.
I am currently working on a lecture on kinship in animals. It goes without saying, ...
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51 views
How do insects recognize their host plants?
Many insects, like butterflies have specific host plants on which they feed or lay eggs. While researching about some butterflies, I found that they lay their eggs on certain specific plants and their ...
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2answers
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Birds brewing beer?
There is a slight bend in the rain gutter next to my window.
Over the last 4 years, I observed birds (ravens, magpies and newly doves) to dip their beaks in. I observed ravens to dip what I think was ...
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Are wasps attracted to UV light emissions?
I remember seeing a documentary where it was shown that bees and wasps are attracted to UV components of a flower colour (please correct me if I am wrong).
Does this mean that they could be attracted ...
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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' ...
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1answer
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Abrupt movements of birds and reptiles vs. smooth movements of mammals
How can it be explained (in evolutionary and/or neuronal terms), that the spontaneous movements of birds and reptiles are seemingly "abrupt" and not so "smooth": Their spontaneous movements seem to ...
3
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1answer
56 views
possibly unusual spider behavior?
In Cambridge UK there is this spider:
I know not what species but it is common - I think they look good.
But look at this behavior. What are they doing? I thought malting but do spiders do that? Why ...
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What do groundhogs and other subsurface-tunnel dwelling creatures do in heavy rains to avoid harm?
I notice groundhogs and many other tunneling creatures in my yard, the same yard which became pretty flooded during heavy rainfall. I don't see wildlife out during rain storms, but not long after, ...
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1answer
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Is it possible to guide animals to a new breeding ground?
(This is a question for a book I'm working on.)
One of the threats to some animal species is the disappearance of breeding grounds (because of the spreading human population, or for example because ...
