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Animal Behavior

All articles tagged with #animal behavior

Bees Exhibit Liking and Disliking Cues in Taste Tests, Hinting at an Inner Life
science4 days ago

Bees Exhibit Liking and Disliking Cues in Taste Tests, Hinting at an Inner Life

Researchers filmed bumblebees tasting droplets (60% sugar, 20% sugar, water, 5% salt, 1 mM quinine) and observed post‑consumption licking after sweet solutions, versus mouth‑wiping or head shaking for salty or bitter ones. The responses are read as potential “liking” and “disliking” cues—similar to mammals—suggesting an inner state in bees. Effects varied with context (e.g., heat stress, fullness, or drug exposure) across 18 colonies, and the study, published in PNAS, fuels ongoing debate about insect sentience.

via The Guardian|
#animal-behavior#bees#bumblebees
Laughs Across Evolution: Humans and Apes Share Similar Giggle Rhythm
science14 days ago

Laughs Across Evolution: Humans and Apes Share Similar Giggle Rhythm

Researchers reanalyzed decades-old recordings of ape laughter and compared them to new footage of children's laughs, finding that humans and great apes share similar rhythmic patterns in their giggles, suggesting laughter evolved from a common ancestor about 15 million years ago. While human laughter can be faster and more context-dependent, its core rhythm remains similar to apes, highlighting laughter as a social bonding tool. The study, published in Communications Biology, underscores the need for more cross-species recordings to illuminate what makes human laughter unique.

via ScienceAlert|
#animal-behavior#evolution#humans
When Packs Strike: Ten cooperative hunters that outsize their prey
science20 days ago

When Packs Strike: Ten cooperative hunters that outsize their prey

The article catalogs ten species that hunt in groups—from wolves and African wild dogs to Harris’s hawks, sailfish, driver ants, social spiders, Cuban boas, Volta’s electric eels, and orcas—showing how teamwork, sheer numbers, and specialized roles enable them to take down prey larger than any single hunter, with notes on methods, efficiency, and trade-offs across different ecosystems.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|
#animal-behavior#cooperative-hunting#ecology
Dwarf mongooses plan ahead to dodge costly rival clashes
science22 days ago

Dwarf mongooses plan ahead to dodge costly rival clashes

A Bristol-led study of 12 wild dwarf mongoose groups in South Africa shows they forecast future rival encounters and adjust behavior accordingly: when a neighboring group is larger, they call more, spend less time in that group’s territory, and are less likely to sleep there, effectively pre-emptively mitigating costly battles using ten years of GPS data.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|
#animal-behavior#dwarf-mongoose#future-threats
City-sparked showmanship: urban bowerbirds dazzle with human-made trinkets
science1 month ago

City-sparked showmanship: urban bowerbirds dazzle with human-made trinkets

A University of Exeter study of great bowerbirds in rural vs. urban Australia finds urban birds decorate bowers with far more human-made items, favoring green glass and red wire, while rural birds stick to natural materials. Urban bowers average about 90 decorations (vs. ~20 rural) and even include items like handcuffs and medicine jars, suggesting urbanization is reshaping courtship displays and potentially influencing female mate choice, though direct effects on mating success were not measured.

via Ars Technica|
#animal-behavior#bowerbirds#human-made-items
Bird Masturbation Across Species Points to Evolutionary Role
science1 month ago

Bird Masturbation Across Species Points to Evolutionary Role

A study of 120 bird species finds masturbation is widespread in both wild and captive birds, more common in males and linked to a species’ mating system; wild birds showed higher rates than captive ones. The researchers suggest it may serve as a sexual outlet, help clear sperm, or reflect an evolutionary pattern across lineages, challenging the idea that captivity causes stress-related acts. The work, published in Ecology and Evolution, indicates masturbation has an evolutionary basis across birds.

via ScienceAlert|
#animal-behavior#birds#ecology
Bruce the NZ kea forges alpha status with a sword-like beak
science2 months ago

Bruce the NZ kea forges alpha status with a sword-like beak

Bruce, a New Zealand kea missing the upper portion of his beak, has learned to use his remaining straight lower beak like a weapon to dominate male rivals at Willowbank Nature Reserve. In a four-week study of nine males and three females, he led 36 combative interactions, secured feeder access on 83% of recorded days, and attracted preening from subordinate males, while showing the lowest stress markers among the group. The researchers highlight Bruce’s innovative problem-solving and note that disability did not prevent him from achieving alpha status, a finding compared to high-status individuals in primates, though long-term dominance remains uncertain.

via Australian Broadcasting Corporation|
#animal-behavior#captivity#disability
Color-changing surgeonfish signals for a clean at the Great Barrier Reef
science2 months ago

Color-changing surgeonfish signals for a clean at the Great Barrier Reef

Diver Jamie Wilson filming the Great Barrier Reef captured hundreds of pale surgeonfish visiting a cleaning station, and one fish abruptly darkened from white to black. Scientists say such color changes may signal to cleaner wrasse that the fish is ready for a cleaning and not a threat, aiding parasite removal and communication in reef ecosystems.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|
#animal-behavior#coral-reef#great-barrier-reef