VMBO Year 3 · Behaviour · Section 8.4
Social behaviour
What is social behaviour?
Social behaviour involves interactions between members of the same species. One animal's behaviour can act as a stimulus for another. Animals communicate using signals, such as postures, movements, sounds or scents. These interactions can contribute to survival and reproduction.
Reproductive behaviour
Mating behaviour can attract a partner and coordinate readiness to mate. Courtship consists of characteristic actions and signals exchanged before mating. Species-specific signals help animals recognise suitable partners, although related species may sometimes respond to similar signals.
Territories and defence
A territory is an area an animal or group actively defends, often containing food, shelter or breeding sites. It differs from a home range, which is simply the area used. Territorial behaviour includes marking, signalling and responding to intruders.
Threat displays may contain elements associated with both attack and withdrawal. Intimidation displays make an animal appear larger or more impressive. Signals can settle disputes without the costs of an actual fight.
Feeding and grooming
Feeding behaviour concerns finding, obtaining and eating food. Grooming behaviour includes cleaning or caring for the body. These become social when they involve other individuals, for example cooperative feeding or grooming a group member. Grooming can also be performed alone.
Parental care
Parental care involves looking after eggs or young. It can combine feeding, cleaning, guarding and keeping young warm. These activities can increase offspring survival, though their form and the parents involved vary between species.
Why social behaviour matters
Communication and coordinated behaviour help animals find mates, manage conflict, obtain food and care for offspring. The advantages and costs of social interactions depend on the species and circumstances.
Glossary
- Courtship
- A sequence of signals and actions before mating, helping partners recognise one another and coordinate reproduction.
- Parental care
- Behaviour caring for eggs or young, such as feeding, cleaning or protecting them.
- Threat display
- Behaviour signalling possible aggression, sometimes combining elements of attack and withdrawal.
- Intimidation display
- Behaviour making an animal appear larger or more impressive to influence another animal.
- Mating behaviour
- Behaviour attracting a partner and coordinating mating.
- Signal
- A feature or action conveying information and influencing another individual's behaviour.
- Social behaviour
- Interactions between members of the same species, where one individual's behaviour influences another.
- Territorial behaviour
- Behaviour marking and defending an area against intruders.
- Grooming behaviour
- Cleaning or caring for one's own body or that of another animal.
- Feeding behaviour
- Behaviour involved in finding, obtaining and eating food.