Why is understanding animal behavior important

If we study animal behavior , we will see how animals interact with their surroundings and their environment. This will allow us to see what kind of animals are friendly, and what are not. We will have a glimpse of how they protect themselves from predators, and what to do if we see one in the wild, and how to approach and defend ourselves safely from them. Why is animal behavior important to study? Biology Animals Animal Behavior. In other words, we must design a study that allows animals to make a choice or decision, allowing us to understand what is important to animals.

These are called experimental studies, which often involve preference or motivation tests! Ethologists, or animal behaviour researchers, can use preference and motivation tests to understand the behavioural needs of animals.

These experiments allow us to assess animal feelings by giving animals some control over their environment and observing the choices or decisions they make Kirkden and Pajor, Preference and motivation tests are very useful, but do differ from one another!

Preference and motivation tests are becoming integral methods of understanding behaviour and improving the environments of animals. Applying our knowledge of animal behaviour to improve housing environments for animals is known as Applied Ethology.

We can use the results of preference and motivation tests to benefit animals. For example, a motivation test performed by Dr. Ian Duncan, Emeritus Chair in Animal Welfare at the University of Guelph, was designed to measure the strength by which egg-laying hens would push against a weighted door to gain access to a nest box—a box provided for hens to build a nest to lay eggs in.

The experiment demonstrated that hens work very hard to receive access to a nest box! From these results, we can infer that it may be very beneficial to provide nest boxes as they are important for egg-laying hens. Animal behaviour is an interesting and growing field, and is imperative to improving animal welfare. We can witness animal behaviour almost every day—watching squirrels or birds in our backyards, observing our cat or dog, or even online through animal web cams!

There are many academic and career opportunities available to get involved with animals including animal behaviour and welfare. Visit our careers page to learn more. Lindsay has a particular interest in studying horses, but enjoys learning about the behaviours and needs of all species! Measuring Animal Preferences and Choice Behavior. Perceptual Worlds and Sensory Ecology. Animal Migration. Sexual Selection. Territoriality and Aggression. The Development of Birdsong.

An Introduction to Eusociality. The Ecology of Avian Brood Parasitism. Social Parasitism in Ants. Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Declines. Disease Ecology. Studies of animal behavior are increasingly important to society because they are crucial for understanding how to preserve species in the face of the continuing negative impact of human activities on the biosphere.

Behavioral studies are central to conservation biology. Animal behavior studies have made other less direct but nonetheless important contributions to society.

For example, studies of how young birds learn and develop their songs provide unique insights into the development and neural control of speech in humans. There is no "typical day" that would describe the activities of most scientists studying animal behavior. Schedules and activities differ as much as the kinds of animals studied and the kinds of questions asked of those animals. For example, a scientist studying the mating behavior of frogs in the field may begin the "workday" at p.