Animal behaviour
Homework 2 – Monday
Learning Intentions
• I can give an example of an animal which
respond to stimuli and give an explanation
for the behaviour.
Success Criteria
• I can explain, with the aid of examples, the
difference between instinctive behaviour
and learned behaviours.
• I can describe how an animal responds to
a stimulus and give an explanation for the
behaviour.
Responding to the Environment
What environmental factors would
affect the behaviour of animals?
Light, temperature, humidity
Woodlice
They eat
leaves and so
are
Herbivores
Choice chambers
We need to design an experiment using a
choice chamber that will tell us what
conditions the woodlice prefer to live in.
Experiment
When several woodlice are inserted
into a choice chamber they more
around randomly. You can place one
in the light and one in a dark
environment to investigate what
conditions they prefer.
Experimental Report
Title
Aim
Hypothesis
Method (including diagram)
Results table and graph
Conclusion
Evaluation
Time (min)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Number of Woodlice
(i) What is the advantage to the woodlice of gathering
on the dark side of the choice chamber?
•Woodlice are less likely to be spotted by
predators.
•Dark area more likely to be damper to prevent
drying out
.
ii) Describe how the choice chamber could be
changed to study the response of woodlice to
two different levels of humidity instead of
different light intensities.
Remove the black cover. Add silica gel/drying
agent to one half of the choice chamber and
wet cotton wool/paper towels to the other
side
Animal
Stimulus
Woodlice Moisture
Woodlice Light
Blowfly
maggots
Light
Paramecium Weak acid
Response
Importance to Animal
Move to
moisture
In dry conditions, they
loose water through their
permeable skins and die
Move away
Protection- less easily
seen by predators in dark
from light
Animal
Stimulus
Response
Importance to Animal
Move away
Protection- less easily
seen by predators in dark
Woodlice Moisture
Woodlice Light
Blowfly
maggots
Light
Paramecium Weak acid
from light
Animal
Stimulus
Response
Importance to Animal
Woodlice Moisture
Woodlice Light
Blowfly
maggots
Light
Paramecium Weak acid
Move to
weak acid
More chance of finding
food-they feed on
bacteria which live in
slightly acidic water
When do Fiddler crabs emerge from burrow to
forage (low or high tide)?
Emerge from burrow
at low tide to forage
What is the external
trigger stimulus?
What is the
significance of this
behaviour?
Description of External
Type of
rhythmical
trigger
rhythm Animal behaviour
stimulus
Tidaloccurs
at the
turn of
the
tide
Fiddler
crab
Crab hunts
for food
when tide is
out
Tide is
influenced
by the moon
Significance
Less chance
of being
eaten by a
fish when
tide is out
When does an owl hunt?
What is the external trigger stimulus?
What is the significance of this behaviour?
Description of External
Type of
rhythmical
trigger
rhythm Animal behaviour
stimulus
Circadian
-every 24
hours
Owl
Hunts at
night
Onset of
darkness
Significance
Owl has a
better chance
of killing prey
When does a hedgehog hibernate?
What is the external trigger stimulus?
What is the significance of this behaviour?
Description of External
Type of
rhythmical
trigger
rhythm Animal behaviour
stimulus
Annual – Hedgehog Hibernates
in autumn
once a
year
Shorter
daylengths
Significance
Hedgehog can
survive winter
When does a swallow migrate from the UK?
What is the external trigger stimulus?
What is the significance of this behaviour?
Description of External
Type of
rhythmical
trigger
rhythm Animal behaviour
stimulus
Annual – Swallow
once a
year
Migrates
to warmer
climate in
autumn
Shorter
daylengths
Significance
Better chance
of finding
food in
warmer
climate
Behaviour that is repeated regularly
Apparatus used to find out whether woodlice prefer
light or dark, dry or humid conditions
Woodlice move away from this so that they are not
seen by predators
Type of behaviour practiced by fiddler crab- comes
out of burrow when tide is out
Type of behaviour practiced by hedgehogs when
they hibernate
Type of behaviour practiced by owl when they start
hunting at night
Blowfly maggots move away from this to avoid
being seen by predators
Woodlice move to this because their skin is very
permeable and prone to drying out
Rhythmical
behaviour
Behaviour that is repeated regularly
Choice
chamber
Apparatus used to find out whether woodlice prefer
light or dark, dry or humid conditions
Light
Woodlice move away from this so that they are not
seen by predators
Tidal
rhythm
Type of behaviour practiced by fiddler crab- comes
out of burrow when tide is out
Annual
rhythm
Type of behaviour practiced by hedgehogs when
they hibernate
Circadian
rhythm
Type of behaviour practiced by owl when they start
hunting at night
Light
Blowfly maggots move away from this to avoid
being seen by predators
Moisture
Woodlice move to this because their skin is very
permeable and prone to drying out