Savvas Realize Topic 3 Lesson 3

Animal Behaviors

• Behavior is the way an organism reacts to changes in its internal conditions or external environment. Behaviors are adaptations that can be learned, or are an instinct, a response to a stimulus that is inborn.

• Learning is the process that leads to changes in behavior. The goal of animal behaviors is survival and reproduction.

Mating Behaviors and Systems

• The drive to mate developed in animals as a way for their species to survive. The behavior patterns related to how animals mate are called mating systems.

• Monogamous animals mate with only one organism, while in other animal species, animals mate with numerous mates.

Communication

• Animals communicate in many ways, using sounds, scents, and body movements, with the goal of reproduction. Many birds sing to attract mates, while other animals release pheromones (chemical scent released by one animal that affects the behavior of another animal; moths).

Competition

• Aggression is a threatening behavior used by some animals to intimidate another animal (for access to mates, food, or water).

• Another competitive behavior is establishing territory (an area occupied and defended by an animal or group; for mates)

Reproductive Strategies/Fertilization Strategies

• Different animal species have different ways of caring for their young. Some species have no contact w/ their offspring (tadpoles, snakes), while others care for them for many years (birds, mammals).

• Offspring that do not receive parental care must be able to care for themselves. These animals typically have many eggs in order to ensure that some will live.

• Mammals, like humans, are usually helpless for a while after birth. Typically, animals that provide parental care have fewer offspring (since they are protecting and nurturing them).

External and Internal Fertilization

• In sexual reproduction, a new organism forms when a sperm cell and an egg cell are joined in fertilization. Fertilization can happen in two ways: externally or internally.

• External fertilization happens outside the body, and internal fertilization occurs inside the body. When internal fertilization occurs, the fertilized egg can develop inside (mammals) or outside (birds) the body.

Cooperative Behaviors

• Animals can increase their chances of survival and reproduction when they live and work together.

• One benefit of living in a group is that it is an effective way to protect young animals from predators (elephant circles). Other groups share parenting responsibilities of animals that are not their offspring (bees).