Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
  1. Home
  2. Browse subjects
  3. Life Sciences
  4. Animal behaviour
  5. Content listing

Refine search

Refine search

Access:
Content type:
Publication date:
Apply   From and To filters
Subject: Show more
Journals Show more
Publishers: Show more
Societies Show more
Series: Show more
Collections: Show more

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

16123 results in Animal behaviour

Page 78 of 807

  • 1 - Evolving Approaches to Zoo-Based Conservation

  • from Part I - Programs and Initiatives
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 45-63

  • Summary

    Zoos and aquariums are powerful forces in animal conservation and education. As zoos and aquariums work to save animals and their habitats, they have expanded their research programs, basic and applied, on site and in the field. This chapter provides a broad overview of key issues related to the history, purpose, justification, utility, and diversity of research conducted in modern zoological parks and aquariums today. The breadth of scientific disciplines spans from the molecular to the individual to the population and to the ecosystem where they are reintroduced or conserved. We touch on a variety of important issues associated with the conduct of research in zoological institutions, including a brief exploration of the history of zoo research; advantages and disadvantages of conducting research in the zoo setting; the diversity, purpose, and utility of zoo research; administration of zoo research programs; research priority setting; zoo–university and other partnerships; animal welfare and other ethical considerations; publication of research results; and funding to sustain zoo research programs.

  • 2 - Protecting an Underwater Rainforest

  • from Part I - Programs and Initiatives
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 64-90

  • Summary

    The southeastern United States is home to the highest diversity of freshwater animals in North America. Unfortunately, their habitats are facing similar conservation challenges as freshwater ecosystems around the world, and these animals are at grave risk of extinction. The Tennessee Aquarium has established a conservation framework of “discover, act, and share” in order to protect the species in our region. Our first goal is to build knowledge of these understudied freshwater communities. By simulating headwater stream communities in artificial streams, we can build understanding of how a changing environment affects the distribution of specific species and the structure of the overall community. At a larger scale, we compare diversity and imperilment levels of fishes, mussels, and crayfishes in different watersheds to prioritize regional conservation efforts. We act on our scientific knowledge by using our expertise in aquatic husbandry to advance best practices for the reintroduction of imperiled animals. Finally, we use our exhibits and work with the media to craft outreach and communication messages that resonate with our audience.

  • 21 - Studying Play in Zoos and Aquariums

  • from Part IV - Basic Research
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 558-585

  • Summary

    Play behavior, commonly seen in zoos and aquariums, especially when animals are well housed, is fascinating to visitors, and zoos and aquariums are a potentially rich source of both basic and applied knowledge about this often mysterious behavior. Here, we provide some background on recognizing and studying play, as well as the diversity of the types and manifestations of play one can observe and study in exhibit facilities. The role of play in the psychological well-being of captive animals and the habitat and environmental provisions are discussed, along with play as an adjunct in animal training procedures. Opportunities for research on the role of play in development, adaptation to captivity, and comparative studies are great and greatly important.

  • 7 - Lear’s Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) Ex Situ Breeding Program at São Paulo Zoo

  • from Part II - Captive Care and Management
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 191-211

  • Summary

    The Lear’s macaw is a threatened, endemic species in the northeast of Bahia, with a current population of 1,354 birds. The main threats are loss of habitat, illegal trafficking, and even attacks by farmers, as macaws consume part of the corn plantations. In situ and ex situ actions have been essential for the conservation of the species. We describe the reproductive management of the Lear’s macaws at São Paulo Zoo and São Paulo Wild Fauna Conservation Center (CECFAU). In 2015 and 2016, nine chicks were born from the same couple at the Zoo. The chicks’ development was compared to birds born in other institutions, as well as to chicks born in the wild. At CECFAU, a flock of birds of reproductive age and wild origins was maintained in a complex of enclosures based on their natural habitat. Territorial disputes and dominance relationships between couples were observed, as well as some intensified reproductive behaviors, probably stimulated by competition. The information obtained from the development of the chicks and the flocking process may contribute to the improvement of their reproductive management in captivity and the maintenance of a sustainable population.

  • 15 - Condor Conservation Comes Home to Roost

  • from Part III - Saving Species
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 400-439

  • Summary

    The Santa Barbara Zoo began with baby steps in 1998 on its journey to join the recovery efforts to restore wild populations of California condors. The need to develop a public constituency for saving condors and the ability to provide resources and a team of professionals to assist with the field conservation program were a perfect fit for the Santa Barbara Zoo. Located in close proximity to prime condor habitat for the southern California population of condors, the Zoo would prove to be a valuable partner to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the other members of the recovery program.

  • 14 - The Thin Green Line

  • from Part III - Saving Species
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 367-399

  • Summary

    The Houston toad (Anaxyrus houstonensis) was one of the first amphibians to be protected by the Endangered Species Act in 1973 and is found only in east-central Texas. Habitat destruction, droughts, and a devastating wildfire have placed additional pressure on declining populations. The Houston Zoo has been working with local partners since 2007 to develop a captive assurance colony of Houston toads and to produce progeny for release back into the wild. Our captive assurance colony is truly the thin green line between species persistence and extinction. Medium-sized toads that vary in natural hues from green to red to brown, these amphibian ambassadors are the little toads that could. At least, we hope they are. Our colony housed between 400 and 2,000 toads that have survived a variety of medical crises, including developmental abnormalities, mycobacterial infections, encephalitis from chlamydial infections, and tumor development. We have learned a lot about amphibian medicine and had both missteps and triumphs along the way, building up toad numbers one season at a time and releasing individuals to the wild in an effort to reduce the chance of extinction of this native Texan.

  • 16 - Saving the Black-Footed Ferret from Extinction

  • from Part III - Saving Species
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 440-474

  • Summary

    The black-footed ferret story is one of success and triumph, but it is also not finished. At one point in its history, there were fewer than 30 individuals in the world. But the passion of wildlife biologists prevented its extinction, and now, after 30 years of captive breeding, we have produced over 9,100 individuals. Some ferrets are released into the wild and others remain in breeding facilities across North American zoos and the United States National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center to retain the species’ gene diversity and again to support current and new reintroduction sites. In this chapter, I will describe how we use science to help this species remain in existence now and into the future.

  • 3 - Headstarting as a Conservation Strategy for Threatened and Endangered Species

  • from Part I - Programs and Initiatives
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 91-111

  • Summary

    Zoos can play an integral role in headstarting, a conservation strategy involving the rearing of animals in zoos from birth or hatching and throughout the time when they are susceptible to the mortalities young animals experience in nature. Once they pass that critical period, they are returned to nature to help sustain wild populations. WCS’s Bronx and Queens zoos are involved in several such programs. The Bronx Zoo was instrumental in identifying the parameters required to rear maleo chicks, an endangered Indonesian bird. WCS’s field program in Indonesia adopted these protocols and 12,772 chicks have been headstarted since 2001. The Queens and Roger Williams Park Zoos are part of a multiagency team headstarting New England cottontail rabbits (NECTs), a species with a declining population. To date, 191 NECTs have been reintroduced to sites in New England. The Bronx Zoo also works with Eastern hellbenders, the US’s largest amphibian. The zoo hatches hellbender eggs collected from Allegheny watershed streams and rears the young until they reach a size where they are too large for most aquatic predators. The zoo has successfully reared nearly 300 hellbenders for release.

  • 6 - Conservation and Education through Dolphin Research and Eco-Tourism

  • from Part I - Programs and Initiatives
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 171-188

  • Summary

    Critical-thinking skills require development through practice and application, which are also advanced via compelling educational programs offering experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The study of dolphins, the oceans, and their conservation is an effective vehicle for engaging and educating students of all ages. The Dolphin Communication Project (DCP) offers multiple programs focusing on behavior, acoustics, and ecology for understanding the cultural diversity of the animals being studied and the human community surrounding the animals. Through these programs, DCP has fostered discussion(s) about dolphin social lives, their culture, their interactions, where they fit within the ocean conservation theme, as well as how humans should behave around, with, and for them. DCP’s conservation message and research and education programs serve as a successful model that illustrates how dolphin science can be a compelling mechanism to cultivate awareness of and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers.

  • 18 - Comparative Cognition Research in Zoos

  • from Part IV - Basic Research
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 490-510

  • Summary

    Comparative cognition research is a rapidly growing and important area of inquiry. Recently, zoos have become a valuable source of data for researchers in this domain. Testing with animals at the zoo not only increases our knowledge of a wider variety of species, but also has the potential to serve as a valuable form of enrichment for the animals themselves. In this chapter, I will describe some ongoing comparative cognition work, including a project investigating sex differences in spatial cognition in giant pandas and otters, touchscreen computer testing in sun bears, and relative quantity judgments in elephants. I will also illustrate how comparative cognition research can help reach the public. Overall, comparative cognition is an incredibly broad and diverse field with great potential to develop in many settings, including zoos.

  • 20 - Contributions of Zoo-Based Reproductive Research to Marine Animal Conservation

  • from Part IV - Basic Research
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 543-557

  • Summary

    Zoos and aquariums have evolved from relatively rudimentary displays to reputable research and conservation organizations. Most modern zoological facilities conduct and facilitate basic and applied research, and many of these investigations cross disciplines, involve innovative technologies, and contribute to global conservation efforts. As the most abundant marine mammal species in managed care, bottlenose dolphins have been studied extensively, garnering groundbreaking discoveries that otherwise would have been impossible to ascertain in the wild. These include, but are not limited to, a compelling understanding of calf development, maternal care, social behavior, cognition, bioacoustics, sensory systems, diving physiology, toxicology, immunology, health, disease, and reproductive biology. In an era of global habitat degradation and increasing human pressure on ocean resources and ecosystems, research conducted at marine mammal facilities has become critical to our understanding of how these animals may respond to an ever-changing environment.

  • 8 - Measuring Welfare through Behavioral Observation and Adjusting It with Dynamic Environments

  • from Part II - Captive Care and Management
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 212-240

  • Summary

    Recent years have seen accrediting organizations and their members calling for programs that employ techniques to assess and ensure the welfare of animals living in zoos. Watching animal behavior remains a commonly used approach to assessing animal welfare in captive settings. The two most widely utilized approaches to behavioral assessments of animal welfare are measures of animals’ overall behavioral repertoires and measuring the presence, absence, or intensity of specific indicator behaviors. Here, we discuss the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches to behavioral assessments of animal welfare and suggest several new directions for such assessments in zoo settings. We also discuss the influence of environmental enrichment on animal welfare and methods for best utilizing dynamic enrichments to improve animal welfare.

  • 23 - Does Research Have a Place in the Zoological Garden?

  • from Part IV - Basic Research
  • Edited by Allison B. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, Meredith J. Bashaw, Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, Terry L. Maple
  • Book:
    Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums
    Published online:
    21 December 2018
    Print publication:
    03 January 2019, pp 618-645

  • Summary

    Heini Hediger (1969) proclaimed that research was always last in the zoological garden. On the contrary, research is a necessity if zoos and aquariums are to elevate their standards and better their practices based on systematic evidence. Empirical zoos, as we have labeled them, are centers for discovery and problem solving to advance the animal welfare, conservation, and management agendas of all zoos. The most effective way to empower a zoo research program is to form scientific partnerships with nearby universities and their faculty and students. The benefits of research are many and the drawbacks are negligible. It is important to upgrade facilities to prepare for serious scientific endeavors, so zoos and aquariums that embrace research need to thoughtfully plan for it. With the support of CEOs and governing boards, robust budgets, and competitive facilities, research may soon be a universal attribute of all zoological institutions.

Page 78 of 807