Animal Behavior Study Guide
1. Shivering is a ___Innate___behavior.
2. Anything that changes the relationship between an organism and its environment is a
____Behavior_____.
3. Riding a bike is learned by __Trial___ & _____Error____.
4. Why do some animals live in groups? Some animals are social creatures that work well
in groups for grooming, hunting, parenting, etc.
5. What happens to an animal when it hibernates? Their breathing slows, heart-rate drops
and they go into a deep sleep state for a period of time. This is to conserve energy when
food is scarce in their territory.
6. Why do some animals migrate? They have adapted to traveling when there is no food
available in the area they are living, so they travel to areas where there is food.
7. What is communication? (definition) Any action by a sender that influences behavior of
a receiver
8. Name the 4 types of communication and describe each one. Visual- Signals that animals
can see ; Auditory- Signals that animals can hear ; Tactile- Signals where animals touch
to communicate ; Chemical- Signals that are sent through chemicals in the animals body,
usually undetectable by humans. (Pheromones, Skunk spray, Cat Urine)
9. Explain the relationship between innate behaviors and genetics. Innate behaviors are
passed down through generations. These are behaviors that animals do not have to
learn, they can perform them from birth.
10.Compare innate and learned behaviors. Give an example of each. Innate behaviors are
with an animal from birth, such as fish swimming. Learned behaviors must be acquired,
such as a lioness teaching her cubs to hunt. (Examples can vary)
~*~Tell which of the following examples are innate behavior and which are learned
behavior. Write the word innate or learned in the space provided.~*~
1. ___innate___ Sowbugs move away from the light.
2. ___learned_______ A dog lies down when given a command to do so.
3. ___innate______ A male stickleback fish protects its young.
4. ___innate_______ The pupil of a cat’s eye increases in size in dim light.
5. ___learned_______ A seeing eye dog leads a blind person.
6. ___learned_______ A dog barks twice for a bone.
7. ___innate_______ Spiders spin webs correctly on their first try.
8. ___innate________ Birds fly south for the winter.
9. ___learned________ A person rides a bicycle.
10.___innate______ A person shivers when cold.
~*~Use the word bank to match to the definitions below.~*~
A.
B.
C.
D.
Society
Migration
Territory
Aggression
E.
F.
G.
H.
Hibernation
Pheromone
Courtship behavior
Communication
I. Nocturnal
J. Urine
__D__ 1. A forceful act used to dominate or control another animal
__H__ 2. An exchange of information
__B__ 3. An instinctive seasonal movement of animals
__C__ 4. An area that an animal defends from other members of its species
__I__ 5. Animals that are active during the night
__A__ 6. A group of animals of the same species that live and work together in an organized
way
__F__ 7. Attracts male moths from several kilometers away
__E__ 8. A cyclic response to cold temperatures and limited food supplies
__J__ 9. Used to mark territories by cats and dogs
__G__ 10. Allows males and females to be ready to mate at the same time