LSM1303 Animal Behaviour Student Blog

See a Mad Elephant?? U better run!!!

ERSHAD AHAMED MEHAR BATCHA — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:15:00 GMT

We all Know Elephants...Those huge, grey(sometimes not so grey), peaceful creatures which seems to be human’s best friend in various ways from carrying heavy wooden logs to overweight tourists in the name of giving tourists the authentic experience. And ofcourse, we can’t forget Dumbo, Walt Disney’s flying Elephant which has also given us a perspective of elephants as lonely, peaceful and human loving creatures all along. Even some of us could have seen elephants playing Soccer in many shows in zoos around the world, making us think that they are very friendly and harmless.

A mad elephant is something different, very different indeed. Imagine 7000 kg. Running. With 40 km/h. Directly charging at you. Making the soil tremble. Now, you better run. Fast. And, the most important - run downhill. Elephants don’t run downhill. Big weight, weak knees, no walking-sticks. So you escape and better directly enter the next bar you could lay your eyes on for a drink. I assure you- you will need it.

So why do Elephants go mad? Just to clarify if some of you all are relating it to mad cows. They have nothing in common of course other than both being mad. Mad Cow disease is an incurable, fatal brain disease that affects cows nervous system causing them to act strangely and not being able to do basic actions. On the other hand Elephants go mad due to a totally different reason. Most Elephants used in circuses or Indian Temples are often kept along rather than in a pair or a group Whereas in Nature, Elephants are social creatures who are always in “closely-knit family groups”. They are “sensitive” and “social animals” who would suffer in captivity because “they are prevented from carrying out natural behaviours.” Due to this after a few years, elephants which are unable to adapt to the new surroundings go mad and cause havoc in their surroundings.

I have added some videos below. Just a word of caution: Some of these videos do tend to be violent acts performed by elephants. So if you are uncomfortable with seeing humans being thrown around by elephants, please deter from watching the videos below.

Mad Elephant in the Zoo

Mad Elephant in Indian Temple Festival
http://www.MotionFlicks.com/desi/view_video.php?viewkey=95ccda9c6ca4a8b981f1

Advertisement using Mad Elephant

Mad elephant - Amazing videos are here

Finally, I would also like to say the elephants are not to blame for any of their violent acts but rather the humans themselves who have put them in solitary and confined environments against their normal behaviours. Below is an animal activists talking about one of the mistreated elephants, Arna, which has turned mad

"How would you like it? Chained to the ground with about three feet leeway to walk around. Getting a hose shoved in your mouth a couple of times a day. I don’t reckon I would be able to bond with the people treating me like that. How stupid do you think Arna is?"

Many scientists like June Bird from Animal Lib Australia have been trying out various methods of getting these mad elephants back to their natural habitats and trying to get them back to their normal conditions. Mostly these are failures since the elephants who have gone bad are neither able to adjust back to natural habitats in forests or live with humans. Therefore, these mad elephants are more often that not forced to live the rest of their lives in misery trying and failing to adjust to the habitats they are mad to live in. Hopefully Animal Abuse and its effects on animals would reach more people around the world and many of these mistreated animals would be able to leave a natural and normal life in their habitats.

An interesting Chess game that I found while googling is Mad Elephant Chess game. Instead of our normal chess, this game's Elephants have an extra special move, they can go on a rampage. I wonder how it makes the game fun or to put it more appropriately havoc.

Click on the link below to know more about the game

http://www.chessvariants.org/diffmove.dir/mad-elephant.html

References:

“Arna, the elephant is going mad,” by Sydney Tribe, 2002. http://www.mattcleary.com/arna.htm

"Are humans causing elephants to go mad?" by Newyork Times Magazine oct 6 2006 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6209655

Videos from Youtube:
Mad Elephant in the Zoo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYZ0b99ZOJw&NR=1

Video from Metacafe:
Mad Elephant: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/749272/mad_elephant/

Video from Motionflicks:
Mad Elephant in India: http://www.MotionFlicks.com/desi/view_video.php?viewkey=95ccda9c6ca4a8b981f1

"Dolphin makes a WHALE of a lifeguard!"

BAVANI PILLAI — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:18:00 GMT

Size apparently does not matter in this fascinating story where Moko a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) saves a sperm whale and her calf from being stranded along the Mahia Beach (New Zealand). This intelligent creature was able to accomplish what rescue workers were trying to do for hours- in minutes.

" 'Moko just came flying through the water and pushed in between us and the whales," Juanita Symes, another rescuer, told the Associated Press. "She got them to head toward the hill, where the channel is. It was an amazing experience.' "

Known for their altruistic nature, dolphins are infamous for protecting people lost at sea and even saving other animals. Their curved mouths give the impression of a friendly permanent smile and are social animals who travel in groups and communicate with each other through a complex system of squeaks and whistles. I wonder if they are able to communicate with other species of animals as well?

" "But it's the first time I've heard of an inter-species refloating technique. I think that's wonderful," said van Helden, who was not involved in the rescue but spoke afterward to Smith."

If Dolphins are intelligent enough to pick up on human sign language to perform complex tricks, I wonder if they are able to pick on other types of communication as well...

Dolphins track their prey through the expert use of echolocation. They hunt in groups and are known for their inventive hunting strategies as well. The following video is one such example where dolphins strategically hunt together for fishes...enjoy!

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/mammals-animals/dolphins-and-porpoises/dolphin_bottlenose_beachingfish.html

Related to their innovative hunting strategies, the article 'Site of Human partnership becomes protected area', is an example of a mutually beneficial partneship between dolphins and the fishermen in Myanmar which goes towards protecting the dolphins around the Ayeyarwady River as well.

'The fascinating partnership involves fishermen summoning the dolphins to voluntarily herd schools of fish toward the boats and awaiting nets. With the aid of the river-dwelling dolphins, the fishermen can increase the size of their catches by threefold, and the dolphins appear to benefit by more easily preying on the cornered fish in both nets and on the muddy banks of the river.'

Dolphins have never ceased to amaze me with their human-like intelligence that makes it all the more diffcult not to be anthropomorphic when describing them. I had the opportunity to view dolphins in the wild when on a cruise boat in New Zealand. The memories of these playful creatures as they swam alongside our boat are definitely precious as I've grown to respect and learn more about them. This video is similar to what I experienced...

References:

1) http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bottlenose-dolphin.html?nav=A-Z (March 17th 2008)

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottlenose_dolphins (March 21st 2008)

3) 'Site Of Human-dolphin Partnership Becomes Protected Area', ScienceDaily (Jun. 23, 2006)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060623100318.htm (March 21st 2008)

Is it a Water Balloon?! - Pufferfish

U0609533 — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:17:00 GMT

The Water Balloon = Pufferfish...
When we think about pufferfish, we would normally associate it with its ability to puff itself up and make itself look really bloated and big. But have you ever wondered how it actually happens? Get to know some of the facts, find out some other interesting behaviours and witness for yourself how the pufferfish defends itself from its predator by inflating itself up!

Introduction:
The pufferfish, also called blowfish, swellfish, globefish and balloonfish, make up the family Tetraodontidae, in the order Tetraodontiformes. They are named for their ability to inflate themselves to several times their normal size by swallowing water or air when threatened. The scientific name, Tetraodon, refers to the fact that they have four large teeth, fused into an upper and lower plate, which are used for crushing the shells of crustaceans and mollusks, their natural prey.

Puffed up pride:
The pufferfish's unique and distinctive natural defenses are necessary due to its slow speed. Pufferfish use a combination of pectoral, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins for propulsion, making it unmaneuverable and an easy target for predators. As a defense mechanism, pufferfish have the ability to inflate rapidly, filling their extremely elastic stomachs with water (or air when outside the water) until they are almost spherical in shape. They turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size. Thus, a hungry predator stalking the pufferfish may suddenly find itself facing what seems to be a much larger fish and pause, giving the pufferfish an opportunity to retreat to safety.

One particular pufferfish, spiny puffer (Diodon holocanthus) combines inflation and pointy spikes in one spectacular defense mechanism. Compared with creatures like these, the spiny puffer seems relatively normal when relaxed. But when threatened, the puffer undergoes a remarkable transformation, its body swelling until the fish is three times its usual size and has become a rigid, near-perfect sphere covered in spiky armor-not a good design for swimming but decidedly discouraging to attackers.

An Uninflated Spiny Puffer

A more accurate name for this fish would be "pumper," because it inflates not by puffing itself up but by pumping water into its stomach (which has ceded its digestive function entirely to the intestine). The stomach expands to nearly a hundred times its original volume, an astonishing increase made possible by the stomach's being pleated, like a skirt. An amazing amount of material can be hidden away in pleats.

As the puffer fills with water, the fish's spine, already slightly curved, bends into an upside-down U shape, and the liver, intestines, and other internal organs become squeezed between the fish's backbone and its rapidly expanding stomach.

Meanwhile, the fish's skin is pushed out, obscuring most of the puffer's features. Only the mouth-a cartoonish orifice containing heavy, crushing plates capable of pinching a human finger to the bone-remains unaffected.The skin of a fully inflated puffer is stretched to one and a half times its resting length.

"As a spiny puffer pumps water into its stomach, the stomach inflates and the spine arches to accommodate the organ's expansion. Pockets of the stomach soon get shoved above and around the spine, making the fish nearly spherical."

An Inflated Spiny Puffer

The skin also helps deploy the puffer's armor. The scales of this fish have been modified into slender spikes, each on a tripod-shaped, bony base embedded in the skin. Normally the tripod lies on its side, with the spike flat against the skin, pointing backward. But when the fish puffs up, the stretched skin pulls two of the tripod's legs backward and one leg forward, snapping the spike upright. The three legs provide a secure base that blunts the force of anything pushing against the spike's sharp tip.

Last Line of Defense:
A predator that manages to snag a puffer before it inflates won’t feel lucky for long. Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish. This extremely strong, paralyzing poison is found in many parts of the pufferfish (including the liver, muscles, skin, and ovaries).To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote.

( Amazingly, the meat of some pufferfish is considered a delicacy. Called fugu in Japan, it is extremely expensive and only prepared by trained, licensed chefs who know that one bad cut means almost certain death for a customer. In fact, many such deaths occur annually.)

Other Interesting Behaviour:

Another type of pufferfish, Dogface Puffer, Arothron nigropunctatus, is renowned to have a charming personality, and it is a very individualistic fish. Some interesting facts has been observed when it is kept in captivity. It is reported that when a Black Dogface Puffer is young, it should only be kept with docile and non-aggressive species, since a young Black Dogface Puffer fish is easily frightened. If a young Black Dogface Puffer feels insecure or harassed in the aquarium it might refrain from eating and begin to starve. A Black Dogface Puffer can also loose its appetite if it feels stressed in the aquarium. Unsuitable aquarium companions can stress the Black Dogface Puffer fish tremendously, e.g. poor water quality and tiny space with no place to seek shelter.

What is so Interesting about that?!
If these boring facts are boring you, then how about watching this video? This would probably make you think: 'WOW! PUFFERFISH ARE SO COOL!' Their nature of defence against predators is indeed intriguing and amusing! Like what the narrator in the video says: "how tough can it be (to catch the pufferfish for a meal)?? .... no matter what the otters tries, the puffer refuses to deflate itself...... it sets out to get a fish dinner, instead it is finding itself playing a ball game!"

References:

"Pufferfish, Blowfish, Fugu or Globefish" by Enchantedlearning.com, 21 March 2008

"Tetraodontidae" by Wikipedia, 21 March 2008

"A Fish Story" by Adam Summers (Illustrations by Sally J. Bensusen) by American Museum of Natural History Biomechanics, 21 March 2008

"Pufferfish" by Sheppard Software, 21 March 2008

"Pufferfish" by National Geographic, 21 March 2008

"Freaks of Nature: Self Inflating Fish" by National Geographic, 21 March 2008

"Black Dogface Pufferfish" by Aquatic Community, 21 March 2008

"Arothron Dog Face Puffer" by Tropicalfishdata.com, 21 March 2008

Meowww....You're only a Beta!

WAN MEIYI — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:09:00 GMT

How would you know whether you are a beta or an alpha?

Introduction
Cats live amongst humans and are part of our everyday lives. We humans commonly have the misconception that cats are clean animals as they know how to groom and clean themselves, and even bury their own faeces to rid the smell. However, have we ever thought how this instinctive nature evolved?

A Cat's Instinct
It is a cat’s natural instinct to cover their faeces. Even in the wild, cats bury their poop without requring any form of training. However, there are cases where your kitty just refuses to cover its poop, and why is that so?

Why Cats Cover their Faeces
The reason for this behavior is the necessity to cover their trail and protect themselves from possible predation. This poop burying behavior observed in cats is not only for avoidance of predation; it is also due to the natural territorial behavior in cats. It is surprising that dominant felines in the wild do not cover up their fecal deposits but displays them prominently. It is similar to their urine markings and is another method of territorial marking. However, beta and gamma cats usually cover their feaces due to the hierarchical nature of a clan, and not covering it would mean a contest of position and authority. From these scent markings of pee and poop, cats from other clans would know where the border of their territory is.

The Home-Dwelling Cat
Then why does your home-dwelling cat possess this trait despite having no other cats around? In actual fact, the cat recognizes you as the owner of the house, and a dominant figure (the alpha character), and thus covers up its pee and poop after doing its business in fear of offending you. So if your cat happens to be one of those that refuse to cover its mess, it means that you are seen as its subordinate instead! (You loser!!)

Introduction of new cats into your house might trigger the display of this territorial behavior to show its dominance over the others. Sometimes there may be one or even two alpha felines. In such a situation, both cats will not cover its poop and may allow the other dominant to share its territorial space at different times of the day to avoid confrontation. So if you take some time to observe your cats, you might realize that their daily resting locations are of a periodic routine!

So, are you the alpha or the beta figure in your territory?

References:
http://www.catsinternational.org/articles/natural_cat_behavior/cats_view_of_territory.html
http://www.moggies.co.uk/behaviour.html
http://amby.com/cat_site/carter_4.html
http://bobmckee.com/Client%20Info/CatTerritory.html
http://www.perfectpaws.com/help2.html
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/behavior.html

The Formidable Sea Predator!

YEO ENG CHONG BENJAMIN — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:57:00 GMT

The Legendary Great White Sharks are the largest predatory fish on the earth. They are found both close inshore and well offshore over the deep oceans but they are particularly in warm temperate seas. These ferocious predators hunt a wide range of animals. They tend to attack from below, taking a large bit of their prey and waiting for its victim to weaken from loss of blood.

So now the question is, ‘What makes it such a fearsome predator?’ Let’s check this out….

Senses

The Great White is equipped with two of the most powerful sensing mechanisms in nature, a highly developed sense of ‘smell’ and the ability to sense the electrical fields radiating from living creatures. They can smell a drop of blood in 100 litres of water and like all other sharks, the Whites have ‘sixth sense’ too which is the Ampullae of Lorenzin. This enables them to detect the electomagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals. Every time a living creature moves it generates an electrical field and great whites are so sensitive they can detect half a billionth of a volt. Indeed these two sensory packages have aided the hunting of weaker preys for the Great Whites.

Dr. John McCosker and Richard Ellis point out in their book 'The Great White Shark' that these ampullae collectively give the GW the ability to sense the electrical field distributed by a copper wire 1000 miles long hooked up to a D-sized battery!

Hunting Technique

Great white sharks' reputation as ferocious predators is well-earned. They typically hunt using an "ambush" technique, taking their prey by surprise from below. When the White sees its prey swimming above, the enormous force of the impact can lift even a big shark clean out of the water. These breaching attacks are one of the most spectacular sights in nature.

Near the Seal Island in South Africa's False Bay, studies have shown that the shark attacks most often occur in the morning, within 2 hours after sunrise. The reason for this is that its preys are hard to notice a shark close to the bottom at this time. The success rate of attacks is 55% in the first 2 hours, it falls to 40% in late morning and after that the sharks stop hunting.

Diet

The Great Whites hunt fish including other sharks, sea lions, seals, sea-birds, small whales, turtles, porpoises and carrion. One interesting point to note is that humans do not make up any part of a White Shark’s diet. This is because the human body is too bony and we are not fat enough for them!

In fact, in most of the harmful encounters that Whites have had with humans, the shark was never really attacking the victim. They are just merely carrying out a ‘test bite’. This is when a White will mouth a strange object in the water to taste it and see if it is edible. How curious are they, isn’t it?

Therefore, one important message I want to bring across, let’s not have shark fin’s soup anymore since we are not one of the items under the Great White Shark’s menu. Let’s save this endangered species. J

References:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=O2FInaOCqoo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_White_Shark#cite_note-9

http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?scope=all&edition=i&q=great+white+shark

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/179.shtml

http://greatwhite.org/frame_facts.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark.html