IB 329 ANIMAL BEHAVIOR EXAM 2 QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS
How can one avoid being eaten by avoiding being seen? - Answers - Camouflage: Pick
a background with similar color or pattern (minimize contrast)
Cryptic coloration/shape (pattern as well as color): Mimic some aspect of the
environment
Artificial camouflage: Use the environment to manipulate your pattern/color to match
the environment
Rapid color change: Manipulate your pattern/color directly to match environment; can
also be used to increase contrast for threat displays
What is an example of artificial camouflage? - Answers - Crabs put algae on their
backs, which increases their survival.
Algae produces chemicals that are distasteful to fish.
How can one avoid being eaten by aposematic coloration? - Answers - Advertise
unprofitability: An alternative to hiding is to be dangerous and let predators know
toxins and chemical defenses: synthesized or sequestered from food
Why be toxic and advertise if predators have to eat you to learn to avoid you? - Answers
- No group selection needed:
Not always killed by attack
Predators learn very quickly
What is Mullerian Mimicry? - Answers - 2 or more distasteful or harmful organisms
resemble each other
Monarch butterfly Viceroy butterfly
What is Batesian Mimicry? - Answers - defenseless species (mimic) is protected from
predation by its resemblance to a species that is dangerous (toxic)
What is behavioral mimicry? - Answers - Need to mimic behavior too to be successful
How does warning behavior of spotted prey work? - Answers - I see you, and I can run
faster than you, so do both of us a favor and don't even bother trying!
,Stotting behavior in ungulates
What is the difference between antlers and horns? - Answers - Antlers: grow from
pedicels (bony supporting structures), males only, shed annually (family Cervidae)
Horns: composed of a bony core covered with a sheath of keratin, never branched,
occur in males and often females (family Bovidae)
How does vigilance help to avoid being eaten? - Answers - Many prey constantly
watching for predators, even while sleeping.
Vigilance behavior shapes morphology - eyes on side of head, antlers...
Fast escape response: fast muscles, power amplification (rattlesnake and kangaroo rat)
How does tail release help to avoid being eaten? - Answers - Lizards can drop their tails
when threatened by a
predator. Relatively low cost compared to death.
How do startle tactics help to avoid being eaten? - Answers - A Moth's Tail Can Deceive
Bats
luna moths that have tails can use them to generate a noise that guides attacking bats
away
from their bodies
How does screaming help to avoid being eaten? - Answers - Screaming attracts other
predators:
Pike & fathead minnows- When captured, minnows release chemical that attracts other
predators and
presence of two pike and one minnow increased the time to swallow the minnow, and a
few times
the minnow escaped!
H1: It's a response to pain receptors being
activated (proximate.)
H2: It warns conspecifics (but it says the predator is currently busy).
H3: It elicits parental help.
What is Optimal Foraging theory? - Answers - Individuals should maximize benefit / cost
ratio:
Costs:
, Time/energy spent locating food
Time/energy spent handling food
Benefits:
Calories gained
How can we reduce foraging costs? - Answers - Minimize time spent looking for and
handling food.
Develop search image for common prey
What are the limitations to optimal foraging? - Answers - Environmental constraints
Predators & parasitism
What are the costs of predation / parasitism on foraging: Leaf-cutter ants and parasitoid
fly - Answers - Variation in worker size leads to variation in energy gained / used
efficiency.
Most efficient sizes are most frequent foragers, but
only at night!
Risk of parasitoid fly (Phoridae) during day
changes costs for large workers.
How do star-nosed moles reduce costs? - Answers - becasue of nervous system, can
detect and process small prey so quickly and efficiently that they can feed on smaller
animals than other animals can
specialize on small prey (their own niche)
Reduce handling time
snout and tweezer like teeth for SMALL food
How do fish and shrimp reduce costs? - Answers - Excel at capturing prey
angler fish jaw protrusion
mantis shrimp power amplification (latches and springs)
What is prey choice? - Answers - caloric value vs. ease of acquiring
Why howler monkeys don't forage optimally
consider some of the costs of each behavior:
What are the foraging strategies? - Answers - Sit-and-wait vs. active foraging
VERIFIED ANSWERS
How can one avoid being eaten by avoiding being seen? - Answers - Camouflage: Pick
a background with similar color or pattern (minimize contrast)
Cryptic coloration/shape (pattern as well as color): Mimic some aspect of the
environment
Artificial camouflage: Use the environment to manipulate your pattern/color to match
the environment
Rapid color change: Manipulate your pattern/color directly to match environment; can
also be used to increase contrast for threat displays
What is an example of artificial camouflage? - Answers - Crabs put algae on their
backs, which increases their survival.
Algae produces chemicals that are distasteful to fish.
How can one avoid being eaten by aposematic coloration? - Answers - Advertise
unprofitability: An alternative to hiding is to be dangerous and let predators know
toxins and chemical defenses: synthesized or sequestered from food
Why be toxic and advertise if predators have to eat you to learn to avoid you? - Answers
- No group selection needed:
Not always killed by attack
Predators learn very quickly
What is Mullerian Mimicry? - Answers - 2 or more distasteful or harmful organisms
resemble each other
Monarch butterfly Viceroy butterfly
What is Batesian Mimicry? - Answers - defenseless species (mimic) is protected from
predation by its resemblance to a species that is dangerous (toxic)
What is behavioral mimicry? - Answers - Need to mimic behavior too to be successful
How does warning behavior of spotted prey work? - Answers - I see you, and I can run
faster than you, so do both of us a favor and don't even bother trying!
,Stotting behavior in ungulates
What is the difference between antlers and horns? - Answers - Antlers: grow from
pedicels (bony supporting structures), males only, shed annually (family Cervidae)
Horns: composed of a bony core covered with a sheath of keratin, never branched,
occur in males and often females (family Bovidae)
How does vigilance help to avoid being eaten? - Answers - Many prey constantly
watching for predators, even while sleeping.
Vigilance behavior shapes morphology - eyes on side of head, antlers...
Fast escape response: fast muscles, power amplification (rattlesnake and kangaroo rat)
How does tail release help to avoid being eaten? - Answers - Lizards can drop their tails
when threatened by a
predator. Relatively low cost compared to death.
How do startle tactics help to avoid being eaten? - Answers - A Moth's Tail Can Deceive
Bats
luna moths that have tails can use them to generate a noise that guides attacking bats
away
from their bodies
How does screaming help to avoid being eaten? - Answers - Screaming attracts other
predators:
Pike & fathead minnows- When captured, minnows release chemical that attracts other
predators and
presence of two pike and one minnow increased the time to swallow the minnow, and a
few times
the minnow escaped!
H1: It's a response to pain receptors being
activated (proximate.)
H2: It warns conspecifics (but it says the predator is currently busy).
H3: It elicits parental help.
What is Optimal Foraging theory? - Answers - Individuals should maximize benefit / cost
ratio:
Costs:
, Time/energy spent locating food
Time/energy spent handling food
Benefits:
Calories gained
How can we reduce foraging costs? - Answers - Minimize time spent looking for and
handling food.
Develop search image for common prey
What are the limitations to optimal foraging? - Answers - Environmental constraints
Predators & parasitism
What are the costs of predation / parasitism on foraging: Leaf-cutter ants and parasitoid
fly - Answers - Variation in worker size leads to variation in energy gained / used
efficiency.
Most efficient sizes are most frequent foragers, but
only at night!
Risk of parasitoid fly (Phoridae) during day
changes costs for large workers.
How do star-nosed moles reduce costs? - Answers - becasue of nervous system, can
detect and process small prey so quickly and efficiently that they can feed on smaller
animals than other animals can
specialize on small prey (their own niche)
Reduce handling time
snout and tweezer like teeth for SMALL food
How do fish and shrimp reduce costs? - Answers - Excel at capturing prey
angler fish jaw protrusion
mantis shrimp power amplification (latches and springs)
What is prey choice? - Answers - caloric value vs. ease of acquiring
Why howler monkeys don't forage optimally
consider some of the costs of each behavior:
What are the foraging strategies? - Answers - Sit-and-wait vs. active foraging
