Lecture 21: Species Specific Behaviour Companion 2 Flashcards
(35 cards)
What is the origin of dogs?
-Canidae (dog family) -> Caninae (subfamily)-> Canis (genus)
-Adapted for chasing prey (long limbs, lithe bodies)
-Elongated muzzle, sagittal crest (ridge along the skull attachment for big chewing muscles)
-Digitigrade (walk on toes not bottom of foot)
-Domestication and artificial selection –> >400 breeds of domestic
What is the feeding and foraging like for dogs?
Wild
-Wild/feral canidae= opportunistic scavengers/hunting
-Hunt alone or in groups
-Eat wide range of animal and plant material (opportunistic)
Pet
-pet dogs: diet and feeding behaviour under human control
-Hunting/stalking-prey drive (vary depending on breed)
What are social behaviours of dogs?
Wild
-Propensity to develop and dwell in large groups (packs)- group composition varies with species, individual populations (social carnivore but benefits for group living, hierarchy not as strict come and go)
Pets
-Spend much of their time in company of humans
-Develop less of a ‘pack mentality’ than feral/wild canids
-Complex social relationships with human caregivers
Article
-wolves that lead pack more Oakley to be infected with parasite makes more bold and behaviour
What is the communication through vision like for dogs?
-Not particularity vision-driven (6x poorer detail than humans)
-Colour perception os limited (almost like having colour mindless human to R&G)
-But good ability to see in dim light and detect subtle motion
-Positioning of body, ears, tail, and eye gaze convey important information about behavioural intention
-Humans not always adept at interpreting these cues (why have dog trainer/behaviourist)
What is the communication through olfaction like for dogs?
-10,000-100,000x better than humans
-Distinguish doors of own species, other species, match odours to sample (can also arrange chronically)
-Nostril bias (start with right nostril and then use left if familiar, but if unfamiliar or non-threatening stay right)
-Olfactory signals: urine, glandular secretions, feces (individual status, anal glands and glands on head)
What is the communication through audition like for dogs?
-Humans: 64-23,000Hz
-Dogs: 64-47,500Hz
-Increased ear mobility (move to increase sound)
-Cupped shape (to help hear)
-Vocalizations- grunts, growls, whines, yelps, coughs, barks (barking usually seen in domestication only 2% in wolves)
What are referential gestures?
-Referential gestures (pointing) = used by signaller to draw recipients attention to a specific object, individual, or event in environment
-Unique relations with humans centers on non-verbal communication
-Study identified 19 referential gestures that dogs use when communicating with humans
-Pretty big tool box (roll over, paw, shuffle etc)
What is sleep like for dogs?
pets
-Domestic dogs are diurnal (sleep when owner does) revolve around humans
-Polyphasic - several sleep ‘bouts’ per night
-Frequent sleep periods during day
-Non-REM and REM sleep
-REM- paddle legs, vocalize dream?
What is the origin of cats?
-First species to be domesticated solely for pest control
What does hunting and object play look like for cats?
-Difficult to breed cats with little inclination to hunt
-Nutritional requirements of Felidae are met easiest when consuming raw carcasses (until nutritionally balanced modern pet food)
-linked to desire of outdoor cats to maintain a homerange (hunting territory in feral)
-Perhaps not always efficient, but effective killers of small animals and birds
What does hunting look like for domestic cats?
-Cats do not hunt cooperativley- restricted to small prey
-SO- if they rely on hunting for food, they need to seat hunting before they get hungry–> feeding, hunger, and predation loosely connected (inclination to hunt when not hungry)
-If cat not very hungry, may appear to ‘play’ with their prey (maybe not hungry but wanted to hunt)
-Effective cat toys resemble typical prey; size, texture, movement
-Intensity of play and size of preferred toy increases with hunger
What are social behaviours b/w undomesticated and domesticated cats?
-Social behaviour: main difference b/w wild ancestors(solitary) and domestic cats (groups)
-F. silestris= solitary, territorial
-F. catus can live in much bigger groups -presumably selected for during domestication
What are social behaviours in general b/w cats?
-Most knowledge of cat social behaviour comes form free-ranging/feral groups
-Form around predictable, plentiful supplies of food
-Cooperative behaviour amount females, males nomadic (come and go as please)
-Cooperative breeding: shared nests, kittens nursed indiscriminately
-Cooperative defence of nests
What are cooperative behaviours of cats?
-Allorubbing
-Allogrooming
-usually occurs b/w cats of same social group, domestic can relate to humans
What communication do cats display physically?
-Ancestral solitary lifestyle- visual signals less important (especially compared to dogs)
-Vertical tail- precursor to allorubbing, indicates affiliative intent
-Pinnae (external ears) most expressive
-Pushed forward and erect=confident
-Backwards=intent to withdraw
-Flattening=expecting to fight
-Pulled back and flat= defensive (accompanied by hissing)
-Agonistic-stand at full height, rated fur on back (max apparent size) may lash tail, growl
-Less confident individuals may hunch heads and flatten bodies
-Lack signals to indicate acceptance of defeat- fights difficult to de-escalate. loser usually creeps away slowly
How is communication from cats by auditory or olfactory?
-Highly developed olfactory and hearing
-Vision insensitive to colour but highly tuned to detect movement (hunting)
-Scent marks for territorial boundaries/significant locations
-Urine–> spray marking
-Feces- if left uncovered
-Check gland secretions- deposited at head height on objects (bunting)
-Reproductively active male cats do this often- usually urine (high levels of suffer-containing compounds)
-Social odours perceived through olfactory receptors and vomeronasal organ (cats show the flehmen posture too)
How do cats vocalize?
-Vocalizations used too- but less so in wild/feral cats (reserved for sexual/aggressive encounters or mother-kitten interactions)
-Pet cats much more social-especially certain breed (Siamese)
-‘Meow’ more frequently likely a learned response
-May have repertoire of ‘meows’
-Purring- care-eliciting signal
What are sexual and reproductive behaviour in cats?
-Female cats will reject all sexual advances except during the breeding season
-Start by increasing home range and rubbing on objects (pro-oestrus) (males also increase patrol range)
-1-2d after coming into oestrus female will indicate sexual receptivity
-Rolling, purring, starching displays
-Rhythmic prostration/retraction of claws
-Lordosis posture
-Females typical polyandrous (mate with multiple males around her)
What is the origin of rats and mice?
-Largest and most diverse group of mammals (40% of mammals species)
-Rodents inhabit virtually every type of terrestrial habitat
-Common feature: gnawing action= huge master muscles and ever-growing incisors
-House mouse and Norway rat =extreme habitat generalists
-Adaptability facilitated human habitation –> export rich food sources
-Predisposed them for use as lab animals
-Mice and rats account for 85% of all animals used in research
What is the origin of lab mice?
-Relationship with humans for 1000s of years- spread with human migration
-Inbred lab mouse (as we know it today) appeared ~100 years ago
-Now over 1,000 inbred strains and altered strains (gene insertions or deletions)
-Adaptability, short reproductive cycle, short life-span, small body size, lost cost of maintain = ‘successful’ lab animals
What is the origin of the lab rat?
-Lab rats established in 1895 from a population of albino rats at Clark University
-Calmer, less likely to bite than wild ancestors
-Tolerate greater crowding, breed earlier, produce more offspring
-Believed to model human physiology closer than mice
What is the general activity of rats and mice?
-Creatures of habit-visual landmarks, familiar routes, territory patrol
-Extremely agile, excellent climbers, can swim
-Thigmotactic and typically avoid clear areas (stick close to walls and floors)
What are feeding and forage behaviours for mice?
-Incorporate foraging into routine movements around environment
-Many (~200) small meals per night from up to 30 different locations
-Generally cautious about new foods
-Aquire food preferences from their mothers and other mice through transfer of odour cues during allogrooming (remember social behaviour lecture)
-Eat 20% of body weight daily
What are feeding and foraging behaviours of rats?
-opportunistic omnivores; diverse foods, many foraging methods
-Forage even when full- learn whereabouts of food for future
-Locate food mainly through olfactory –> digging, climbing, diving
-Prefer sweet, caloric, high-protein foods (like humans)
-Neophobic- will initially eat only very small amounts of unfamiliar foods, and if any ill effects they will avoid for a long period of time (one-trail learning)
-Social learning- prefer novel foods after smelling on conspecifics breath
