LSM1303 Animal Behaviour Student Blog

Raccoons - are they cheeky grinning rascals or skillful ninjas of the night?

Image by OCPetPhotos and Sara Heinrichs

First and foremost, racoons (procyon lotor) are noctural animals, and increasingly abundant inhabitants of suburbans areas and cities as humans have destroyed their natural habitats. They are extremely adaptable and can be found in many different kinds of habitats such as wooded areas near water bodies, trees, to woodchuck burrows, caves, sewers, garages and houses, and so on.


Image by k e v i n, kjdrill, dazed81 and secretsamba

The raccoons are omnivorous and their diet consists of a wide range of food, from berries, corns, walnuts, to fish, insects, rodents and in suburban areas, foraging leftovers in garbarge cans and even stealing food from houses, and at times, "begging" for food from passerbys (watch videos below). An interesting note on the raccoon's eating habit (no, they don't sing before they eat nor say grace, nor wipe their hands before they eat)


Image by OCPetPhotos

is that if water bodies are near, they dabble their food in the water as if washing their food in order to clean it, but it is not. The raccoon is simply just softening the food and perhaps at the same time looking for foreign objects/particles on the food (survival skills).

Video 1 - The Night Raiders
note* their eyes - being nocturnal creatures, they have excellent night vision, and they are also especially alert (fine sense of hearing)



Video 2 - Adaption to urban habitat (and humans)
note* they have adapted to the city, and learned to associate humans with food!



Video 3 - More raiding

note* how they used their paws to grab food! using their grasping hand-like paws, they have learned to open garbage cans and gates as well as getting hold of food



Video 4 - a closer view of their paws
note* their paws have five toes that looks a little like our hands and it is flexible and very good, not only at grabbing things, but as pulling things apart and holding things. Very handy indeed! That makes them excellent climbers too, climbing up trees, houses, fences and gates with great agility!



Given their physical appearance, a black mask around its eyes, it gives them the mischievious look of a burglar/ninja indeed.

References

1. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Procyon_lotor.html
2. http://teacher.scholastic.com/dirtrep/animal/raccoons.htm
3. http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/wildlife/index.php?subject=Mammals&id=26
4. http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/raccoon.htm
5. http://www.raccoonlearningzone.com/index.php
6. http://www.backyardnature.net/raccoons.htm

Many studies have established the Symbiotic Relationship between ants and aphids, that is where two or more animals depend on each other to survive. Aphids are small, soft-bodied, pear shaped insects which are commonly found on nearly all indoor and outdoor plants, as well as vegetables, field crops, and fruit trees. They feed on these plant juices and excrete a substance called honeydew which is rich in nutrients ants require. Honeydew is the clear, sticky dropping that is produced by aphids when they can't use all the sugar that they get from plants. In return, the ants will protect these aphids from their predators such as beetle, flies and wasps.

The ants will use their forelegs to stimulate the aphids to excrete honeydew, and store the honeydew collected in their abdomens until is full, whereupon they will return to the nest and regurgitate to feed other members of the colony.

 

 Ants taking care of the aphids.

Nevertheless, while it may seem like both are benefiting from one another, ants obtaining food from aphids while aphids getting protection from the ants. Professor Vincent Jansen of Royal Holloway's School of Biological Sciences, concludes: "Although both parties benefit from the interaction, this research shows is that all is not well in the world of aphids and ants. The aphids are manipulated to their disadvantage: for aphids the ants are a dangerous liaison."

Research have shown that ants have been known to bite the wings off the aphids in order to stop them from getting away and the chemicals produced in the glands of ants can also sabotage the growth of aphid wings. In addition, new study has also pointed out that the ants' chemical footprints can also slow down the aphids' movements, thus keeping them close to the ant colony. Ants have even been known to occasionally eat some of the aphids themselves. Therefore, ants may seem like both a friend and a foe to the aphids.

 

References:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/icl-ha100907.php

http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/aphid.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwzUSRPo7PM&feature=related

“Aphid-Ranching Ants,” by John Walker. 10 Jul 2003.

“Herding aphids – how 'farmer' ants keep control of their food.” A joint news release from Imperial College London, Royal Holloway University of London, and the University of Reading, 10 Oct 2007.

 

Two giraffes, taking long, languid strides with a seemingly synchronized grace, pause for a moment to stand side-by-side. It’s a Kodak Moment, to be sure.

 

 

But just as you whip out your camera, anxious to capture the scene…they begin swinging their necks at each other. And if the loud “thud” that emits as they strike each other with their heavy heads and necks is anything to go by --- it isn’t pretty.   

 

This type of interaction typically occurs between two juvenile male (bulls) and is called “Necking”. Not to be confused with the human equivalent ;), Necking is actually a form of sparring between young bulls. An invitation to spar is usually extended when a bull of inferior or equal status rubs his head and neck on another bull, because bulls seldom perform this action otherwise. They then stand side-by-side in parallel or reverse parallel position and deliberately swing their necks at each other. “The blows are almost always delivered gently, in the tempo of a stately dance, there are sometimes long pauses, and when they stop sparring they are likely to browse side-by-side.” (Pratt and Anderson) There are certain key characteristics which distinguish Necking from Fighting.

 

1)       The bulls usually hold their tails drawn forward between their hind legs.

2)       They reduce the chance of injury by taking turns to swing at each other.

3)       It is a contagious activity, and can prompt up to 3 other bulls to join in.

 

Here’s a short clip on Necking:

 

 Most scientists also agree that Necking is involved in the establishment of a dominance hierarchy among male giraffes, because it allows the bulls to judge the relative strength of their peers in a fairly non-aggressive setting. However, Pratt and Anderson admitted they were forced abandon this idea when “repeated and detailed observation of the behavior of the participants did not provide any visible evidence of dominance or submission.”

 

Other scientists such as Coe have more radical views on Necking, based on the observation that males were often seen with unsheathed penises, and occasionally mounted one another while Necking. As such, Coe posited that Necking held sexual significance for bulls, and thus was a “sexuo-social bonding mechanism” for young males. However, Pratt and Anderson refuted this claim through their observation in 9 out of 16 events where a bull attempted to mount another with his penis unsheathed, they “never saw any indications ---e.g. behavioral, postural--- of submission in the bulls mounted.” They highlighted one instance where not only did the male being mounted not visibly react, he even went on browsing!

 

Pratt and Anderson’s final conclusion was that Necking suggested play more than fighting, and its main purpose was to serve as practice for Fighting when they matured into adults later on in life.

 

Here’s a clip on Fighting:

 

As you can see from the clip, Fighting between Giraffes is a far more vigorous and violent activity, where heavy blows are exchanged. It is considered relatively rare, but has been observed to occur more frequently in the presence of estrous (sexually receptive) females. As such, this behavior that has often been connected to competition with their peers for mates. However, Pratt and Anderson themselves only recorded 2 instances of Fighting, with one occurring in the absence of females.

 

Unlike Necking, Fighting does not involve any preliminary movements and does not develop with gradually increasing intensity from a sparring bout. The two bulls approach each other rapidly, “start slugging at each other with maximum force and, reckless of injury, deliver their blows as rapidly as possible and sometimes simultaneously.” When a bull is defeated, he runs away. As a result, injuries from Fighting are far more common as compared to Necking.

 

References:

 

Pratt, D.M., and V.H. Anderson. (1985). "Giraffe social behavior." Journal of Natural History 

 

Social System of the Giraffe by Melissa Breedlove

 

The Giraffe in Its World by Craig Holdrege

 

Giraffe Behavior at Animal Corner

 

 

"What’s it like to work with relatives who think sex is like a handshake, who organise orgies with the neighbours, and firmly believe females should be in charge of everything?" — ScienceDaily (Sep. 4, 2007)

That might be a possible thought, ONLY if you belong to a species of Chimpanzees called the Bonobo. The Bonobo (Pan paniscus), until recently usually called the Pygmy Chimpanzee (and less often the Dwarf or Gracile Chimpanzee), is one of the two species making up the chimpanzee genus, Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the Common Chimpanzee. Although the name "chimpanzee" is sometimes used to refer to both species together, it is usually understood as referring to the Common Chimpanzee.

So the story behind the Bonobo goes like this: It is a species studied in the recent centuries, where sexual intercourse plays a major role in Bonobo society, being used as a greeting, a means of conflict resolution and post-conflict reconcililation, and as favors traded by the females in exchange for food. Bonobos are the only non-human apes to have been observed engaging in all of the following sexual activities: face-to-face genital sex (most frequently female-female, then male-female and male-female), tongue kissing, and oral sex.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZiTzxL3Nh4&feature=related

As it turns out, that sex is the key to nearly all issues that arises within the colony. It was observed that when food source is found, or when upon a feeding ground, the increased excitment would usually lead to communal sexual activity before the feast even begins. Presumely, this activity decreases the tension and thus allows peaceful feeding, instead of the much observed competition for food within other animals and species.

An interesting observation of Bonobos and their sexual behaviour, is of the way they reconcile a conflict. After 2 males were observed having conflict with each other, they may come together for a hug and a mouth-to-mouth kiss, which is assumed to be an act to restore peace and harmony.

As it turns out, even when new toys or objects are tossed into an enclosure of bonobos, 2 bonobo would briefly mount each other before proceeding to play with the new toy. In comparison to most other species, a likely squabble would have easily erupted in these situations.

As scientists concluded, Bonobos are more tolerant of each other, perhaps because they had sex to divert their attention and to diffuse tension within.

Now imagine living the life of a Bonobo...

 

References:

http://www.exn.ca/Templates/Story.cfm?ID=1998051562

"Sex-Crazed Bonobos May be More Like Humans Than Thought" by Steven Hunt, 1998

 

http://www.primates.com/bonobos/bonobosexsoc.html

"Bonobo Sex and Society" by Frans B. M. de Waal, (Originally published in the March 1995 issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, pp. 82-88)

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308121928.htm

"Social Tolerance Allows Bonobos To Outperform Chimpanzees On A Cooperative Task"  Adapted from materials provided by Cell Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS

 

http://www.unl.edu/rhames/bonobo/bonobo.htm

"Bonobo Society: Amicable, Amorous and Run by Females" by NATALIE ANGIER

 

http://www.answers.com/Bonobo?initiator=IE7:SearchBox

Search "Bonobo"

 

 

Many major cultures around the globe have developed some form of medical science. The Indians have Ayurveda, the Chinese have TCM and of course there is Western medicine. What these fields have in common is that they are derived from the process of observing the effects of certain herbs or foods on the health of the imbiber and thus correlating cause and effect. While medical science and its practitioners have long been held to be at the forefront of human intellectual pursuits, we now realise that this was no great achievement at all. In fact, even monkeys do it.

Observe this Orang Utan for example.

 

 

Right. This is just a monkey opening a packet of powder. Nothing fancy. However, monkeys DO develop their own medical techniques to deal with their own health issues. This is known as Zoopharmacognosy which is basically the animal form of Medical Science. Many species of animals use various techniques to deal with their maladies.

If you have seen your dog or cat eating grass you may have been puzzled at their sudden vegetarianism. They do have good reason for doing so. Eating grass "stimulates either retching or the rapid expulsion of worms in diarrhea" (Hart and Hart 1985). Compare this with the Tamil proverb which claims that a Tiger would not eat grass, no matter how hungry.

Medicine is not a purely mammalian pursuit either.Snakes too have herbological knowledge! "According to Chinese folklore, many centuries ago a farmer in the Yunnan district found a snake near his hut. Fearful for his life, he beat it senseless with a hoe and left it for dead. A few days later, the same snake returned. Again he tried to kill it, but again it returned. After he had beaten it a third time, the farmer followed the severely wounded snake as it crawled into a clump of weeds, started feeding on them, and thereby rapidly cured the worst of its injuries. The plant in the story was Panex notoginseng, which now forms the main ingredient in the herbal formulation 'Yunnan bai yao', a white powder that cauterizes cuts and stems external bleeding immediately. It was standard issue in the Vietnam War, for use when soldiers were wounded far from conventional medical treatment. "(Reid 1987).

Our closest cousins, the Great Apes have various methods by which they keep themselves in the pink of health.

 

Above we see a chimpanzee(Pan troglodytes) chewing on the bitter pith of the Vernonia Amygdalina plant. Chewing on the pith allows the chimp to extract the bitter juice that is within. THe chimpanzees  use this method to kill parasites in their intestinal tracts. Interestingly, chimps do not usually eat this leaf due to it being slightly toxic to them. Thus, they only eat this leaf for medicinal purposes! This paper has extensive information on this phenomenon, complete with graphs. The author Michael Huffman is an eminent figure in the field of Zoopharmacognosy.

Chimps sometimes consume the leaves of the Aspilia plant, which they got to great lengths to obtain. The leaves are covered in stiff hairs and are swallowed whole, despite the difficulty of doing so. "Huffman doesn't doubt that there is a medicative function behind leaf swallowing behavior. His theory about how it gets rid of worms revolves around the hairiness of the leaves. Huffman found live worms in chimp *** stuck "like Velcro" to leaf hairs and trapped within the folds. He speculates that worms may become attached to the leaves or somehow enticed into the folds during digestion, taking a "magic carpet ride" through the gastrointestinal tract, eventually to be excreted from the body. Chemicals in the plant may also decrease the ability of the parasites to adhere to the intestine, making it easier for them to be swept out by the leaves."

Perhaps the animal use of medicines to treat themselves is not such a surprising phenomenon. In fact post-Darwinists should have predicted it regardless of evidence.  Using medical methods enables an animal to prevent its death,prolong its life, to heal faster and have a survival advantage. This is an advantage that would allow those animals who use it to be more successful than those who dont. In the abscence of a consequent negative selection pressure, animals who self-medicate would definitely outsurvive those who do not. Thus, Zoopharmacognosy is not surprisingly prevalent in the animal kingdom.

Not only do animals consume herbs and plants as medicines, but they also consume certain types of soil(geophagy) and insects for the same purpose.

 Even more interesting than the fact that animals employ medical science is the fact that many of the herbs and techniques employed by animals are similarly employed by humans. This highlights the cross pollination of medical knowledge from the animal kingdom to ours.

To learn more on the exciting field of Zoopharmacognosy, this book might help.
 

 

"Really Wild Remedies—Medicinal Plant Use by Animals" by Jennifer A. Biser. Zoogoer, January/February 1998

 

 Huffman, M.A. 2001. Self-Medicative Behavior in the African Great Apes: An Evolutionary Perspective into the Origins of Human Traditional Medicine. Bioscience, 51(8):651-661.

 

 

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