Abstract
Animal behavior has emerged as a multi and interdisciplinary science, encompassing such sciences as physiology, pathology, immunology, endocrinology, ecology, genetics, and neuroscience.
Neuroethology merges into cellular biochemistry, physiology, and molecular genetics and also at the other end, the study of animal groups extends from the evolutionary theory to social ecology. External events as well as genetic factors affect the way the nervous system develops and ultimately the way the individual behaves later on as an adult. In most animals, behavior patterns reflect the complexity and functional organization of the nervous system. Behavior is a complex response mediated by the nervous system and is modulated by the endocrine system. The behavior of animals has been broadly classified and studied extensively under categories such as learning, feeding, sexual, maternal, and social behaviors. Understanding in depth these various types of animal behavior can help the researchers to identify various indicators which could serve as potential guidelines for assessing their wellbeing. Behavior is closely related to the welfare of the animal. Hence, behavioral studies help the veterinarians and animal scientists to identify the cause of any abnormal behavior and address it. Also as many clinical problems, animal training methods have a behavioral component, understanding the physiological basis of behavior will help the veterinarians and animal handlers to advocate better approaches towards the animals.P. Visha ( )
Veterinary College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
V. Sejian
ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023 695
P.
K. Das et al. (eds.), Textbook of Veterinary Physiology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9410-4_27Graphical Abstract
Description of the graphic: Nervous system (limbic) (1) and endocrine system (2) control the different types of behavior in animals (3). Learning behavior where individual animals acquire new responses and new capacities (4). Feeding behavior differs with each animal and it is a sign of health influenced by various factors (5). Sexual behavior is important in all species of animals including proceptive and receptive behavior by the female; courting and mate guarding by the male, as well as actual copulation (6). Maternal behavior exhibited by the mother in response to neonate plus prior experience of being a mother and it is under control of both hormonal and neural (7). Animals in groups exhibit various social behaviors such as dominance hierarchy, peck order, teaching, cooperation, and playing (8). Aggressive behavior is usually displayed to threaten or attack to resolve competitive disputes over limited resources (feed, territory), to increase their reproductive potential, or to escape from threatening situations (9). Animals communicate not only by auditory signals but also by visual and olfactory signals (10). Various behavioral disorders also showed in each species (11). All aspects of the behavior of all livestock species are elaborated in this chapter
Keywords
Ethology ∙ Neuroendocrine ∙ Communication ∙ Learning ∙ Behavioral problems
Learning Objectives
• To understand the importance of ethology in relation to the veterinary science and animal welfare.
To recognize the basic physiological and genetic mechanisms involved in the development and evolution of behavior.
To appreciate the intricate interplay of neuroendocrine system in exhibition of a behavior.
To differentiate the various types of learning and behavioral conditioning.
To understand the differences in the feeding, sexual, maternal, and social behaviors in different species and the manifestation of clinical behavioral disorders.
• To learn the various modes of communication in different animals.
• To understand the training responses in dogs and horses.
• To know the significance of wild life ethology.
27.1