Ethology - Animal Behavior

Ethology is the study of animal behavior in their natural environment. It is an objective method where the researcher distances himself from the idea that animals act like humans - in other words the researcher would attempt a value free analysis of animal behavior.

This consists of two components

1. Instinctive behavior
2. and Learned behavior

All animals display elements of both components.
Instinctive behavior can be seen as an inherent wisdom.
Learning is acquired over time and becomes more important as the animal develops into adulthood. Behavior Learned
1. Classical Conditioning
where an animal associates with specific objects, sounds and actions. For e.g. vultures associates a helicopter with food for vultures. Because the helicopter for e.g culs and so makes food for vultures.
2. Operand Conditioning.
Where an animal learns in random ways that certain behavior is either rewarded or punished. Cub biting dads tail gets a slap.
3. Modeling
Young animals imitate the behavior of their parents and other adult animals.

Behavior happens on two levels:

1. Personal survival and
2. Social interaction

Many social behaviors have an instinctive base e.g. males fighting for supremacy.

Behavior for personal survival

1. Feeding: hunting, seeking and gathering.
2. Drinking: water or substitute.
3. Cleaning or preening: parasites, mud and dust baths.
4. Protective behavior: from predators and elements. Camouflage, thanitosis (playing dead), chemical defense, aposomatic colouring (warning colours) autonomy (lizards that through their tails off) , and making themselves larger.
5. Fleeing from danger, fighting against a dangerous intruder.

There are three zones around an animal.

1. Comfort zone, starts from where alert zone ends and moves away from animal.
   
2. Personal space, when there is and intruder enters the comfort zone the animal would freeze as a first reaction. it is the distance that an animal requires between itself and potential danger to fee safe.
3. Recognition zone,here it starts signaling discomfort. like for e.g. hissing or snapping