Normal behaviour patterns

‘normal behaviour’

those we would expect to see displayed by animals living under normal circumstances in the wild

examples of normal behaviour in animals

cows grazing together

meerkats digging for food

bearded dragons basking in the sun or under a heat lamp

dogs or cats involved in grooming

horses or monkeys involved in allogrooming (the act of grooming another animal)

lions hiding in thick vegetation while stalking prey

allogrooming

the act of grooming another animal

function of defence behaviours

helps animals to avoid being injured

helps animals to avoid being killed by another animal

common defence behaviours

hiding from threats - e.g. humans, other animals or unsuitable environments (e.g. noisy places)

warnings - to frighten the predator away, or allow the prey animal to escape

porcupine defence behaviour

raising its spines

rattlesnake defence behaviour

rattling its tail

cat defence behaviour

hissing, showing teeth

snake and lizard defence behaviour

playing dead to avoid being captured

give a reason animals may become more aggressive

during courtship and mating

example of aggressive behaviour during courtship and mating

male ferrets ‘drag’ the female around by the scruff of the neck and cause visible bite marks

captive breeding schemes

e.g. in zoos and on farms

carefully planned - e.g. rams selected for breeding are kept separate from ewes, except for at the correct time of year for mating. This reduces conflict between males and ensures success in breeding

predator avoidance

a survival technique adopted by many species, e.g. alerting other animals in the group by making alarm calls (e.g. meerkats)