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Jessica Young Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences Western State College of Colorado

Animal Behavior. Jessica Young Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences Western State College of Colorado Gunnison, Colorado 81231. Introduction. Animal behavior, or Ethology, is a key component to the management and conservation of species.

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Jessica Young Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences Western State College of Colorado

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  1. Animal Behavior Jessica Young Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences Western State College of Colorado Gunnison, Colorado 81231

  2. Introduction • Animal behavior, or Ethology, is a key component to the management and conservation of species. • The study of animal behavior is critical for elucidating consequences to species of anthropomorphic changes to habitats.

  3. Learned Versus Innate Behaviors • Learned behaviors are those that are modified by experience • Innate behaviors are those that occur despite experience or environment.

  4. Ibex Reintroductions • Innate behaviors may influence the success of population translocations and reintroductions

  5. Animal Perceptions • Umwelt is a termed coined by J. von Uexkall to describe how an animal senses their environment. • Our preconceived ideas based on how Homo sapiens perceive their environment through their senses may cause a lack of success with management actions and conservation measures.

  6. Sensory Perception • Hearing • Vision • Olfaction • Taste • Tactile • Barometric Pressure • Magnetic Fields

  7. Hearing • Hearing • Receptors • Communication • Effects of anthropomorphic noise

  8. Vision • Vision • Receptors • Communication • Phototaxis • Photo-pollution

  9. Olfaction and Taste Vomeronasal organ in elk Olfaction • Receptors • Allomones • Pheremones Taste • Receptors • Conditioned taste aversion • Communication • Vomeronasal organ

  10. Tactile • Receptors • Communication Species may shift their sensory perception of the environment based on their age, time of day, or season. Examples ticks, black bears

  11. Forming Hypotheses About the Influence of Animal Behavior on Wildlife Management • Ultimate Hypotheses • Those involving evolution and development • Proximate Hypotheses • Those involving function and causation

  12. Methods for Testing Hypotheses • Observations • Field Journals • Behavioral sampling • Measuring behaviors

  13. Direct Versus Indirect Observations • Direct (observing and recording the actual behaviors) • Indirect (tracks, markings, feces, hair, etc.)

  14. Types of Direct Sampling • Ad Libitum • Focal-Animal • Scan

  15. Types of Measurements • Time budgets • Frequencies • Duration • Latency • Intensity • Bouts

  16. New Tools and Concepts • Software • Activity Sensors and GPS • Robotics • Sound Arrays • High tech cameras

  17. Managing Human Behavior • Wildlife viewing • Recreation conflicts • Habitat fragmentation • Habitat loss

  18. Using Our Understanding of Animal Behavior to Manage and Recover Species

  19. Summary • Animal behavior is a key component of wildlife management and conservation of species. • It is important to understand how species senses and perceptions influence their behavioral actions. • Formal hypotheses testing is an important process to understanding the role of animal behavior in managing and recovering species. • New methods and technologies are providing unprecedented information about species behaviors. • Species use of their habitats as well as foraging and mating needs can best be understood through the study of animal behavior.

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