Chapter 10: Self-Defense

Explain Coevolutionary Arms Race with Predator and Prey

-Each species’ evolutionary innovations are met by counter-innovations from other species

-One species develops a defense/adaptation in response to the other species evolving a counter adaptation

What are the 3 key elements of self defense?

-Avoid Detection

-Evade Capture

-Fight Back

Explain Avoid Detection and behaviors that fall into it

Crypsis: -Behavior, Color, or shape that makes an animal difficult for predator to detect

-Camouflage

-Countershading

-Background Matching

-Disruptive Coloration

Explain Evade Capture and the behaviors that fall into it

-Sudden production of movement, sounds, or another stimulus that distracts a predator

-Distract and Dazzle (Startle Behavior)

-Aposematism

-Vigilance/Alarm

-Mimicry

-Evasion

Explain Fight Back and the behaviors that fall into it

-Animal actively defending itself from the predator involving different strategies

(Chemical, Alarm, Physical)

-Physical Defense

-Chemical Deterrence

Explain Crypsis

-Behavior, color, or shape that makes an animal difficult for predator to detect

Explain Camouflage and give example

-Used to avoid detection from predator/danger

-Needs a balance of hiding from predator to attracting attracting mates and reproducing

-Arctic Fox/Hares

3 types: -Countershading

-Background matching

-Disruptive coloration

Explain Countershading Camouflage

-A gradient of color from the top to the ventral surface of the animal

-Light ventral (bottom) makes outline of animal more difficult to see and helps mitigate shadows

-Darker top helps blend in from below

Example: -Penguins

-White Tail Deer

Explain Background Matching Camouflage

-Animal evolves to have same color as natural environment (able to match backgrounds)

Example: -Moths

-Butterflies

Explain Disruptive Coloration Camouflage

-The pattern of the animal disrupts the outline and breaks up the edges making it hard for another animal to detect this animal

Example: -Flounder

What is Startle Behavior and give example

AKA Distraction and Dazzle

-Sudden production or movement, sound, or another stimulus that distracts a predator

Example: -A hidden feature like large eye spots on a Moths wing

-Blue Tongued Skinks stick out their blue tongues to distract the predator

What is Aposematism and give an example

-The sending of signals that say DO NOT EAT ME (usually visual)

-Bright colors warn predators (bright red, yellow, orange)

-Some may use a chemical attack as a last resort

Example: -Small Poisonous Frogs

Explain Vigilance and how animals alarm danger and give example

-Animal monitoring its surroundings for potential threats

-Often related to Social Behavior/Groups (Can be hard to hide so better be good at detecting predators)

-Alarm calls can be costly as can attract other predators who werent a threat

-Information is important for Eavesdroppers

Example: -Prairie Dogs

Explain Mimicry and give an example

-When one species evolves to look, sound, smell, or act like another species

-Visual or Scent Mimicry

Example: -Ground squirrels chew on rattlesnake skin, lick their own fur to they can smell like rattlesnakes

Explain Batesian Mimicry and give example

-Harmless species looks or have behaviors like an harmful poisonous species

-Deceitful signaling

Example: -A nonvenomous species copying the coloration and pattern of a venomous species

-Coral snake and King snake

Explain Muellerian Mimicry and give example

-Behavioral and coloration where many tend to behave or appear the same

Example: -Monarchs and Viceroy Butterflies

Explain Self Mimicry and give example

-Mimicking a wounded or vulnerable version of themselves

Example: -Playing dead (opossum)

-Faking an injury (Killdeer)

Name the different Evasion Behaviors

-Fleeing and Mimicry

-Flash Behavior

-Erratic and Zigzag Behavior

-Running Really Fast

-Stoting

Explain Evasion behavior Fleeing and Mimicry

-Seen in Cephalopods

-Squirt ink and Rapidly change color

-Octopus

Explain Evasion behavior Flash Behavior

-Grasshoppers

-Freeze, change color, then disappear

Explain Evasion behavior Erratic and Zigzag Behavior

-Noctuid Moths

-Zigzag path is harder to catch than running straight

Explain Evasion Behavior Running Really Fast

-They can outrun bc they are really fast

-Deer

Explain Evasion Behavior Stoting

-Seen in ungulates

-Jump up all together then take off running

-Animals that are able to Stott are more sucessful at getting away from predator

-Gazelles

Name the two ways animals can fight back and deter predators

-Physical Defense

-Chemical Defense

Explain Physical Defense

Structures: -Spine and Teeth

Looking Bigger: -Hair/Feathers and Posture

Reacting Aggressively: -Must be careful when prey is armored and aggressive

-Can be injured which can lead to affecting future foraging, death, unable to find food, injury could get infected

Group Defense: -Mobbing (Small birds will often group up to attack)

Explain Chemical Deterrence

-What they repel before attack and unpleasant experience after attack for predator

-Is the last resort bc can be expensive

-Skunks

Explain how animals avoid Ectoparasites

-Swatting away flies

-Avoiding areas (will have a lower chance of being bitten)

-Nibbling on certain leaves to release chemicals to “fumigate”

Explain Sickness behavior

-Being sick leaves the animal vulnerable

-Needs to conserve energy to be able to protect itself

Explain Self Medicating and give examples

-Eating certain leaves with medicinal properties/hooks to grab the internal parasite as the leaf goes through your digestive system

-Chimps