LSM1303 Animal Behaviour
Exploring animal behaviour
Class composition AY2010/11 Sem 2
Apr 13th
| Faculty | No | % |
| Faculty of Arts & Social Sci | 97 | 64 |
| Faculty of Science | 17 | 11 |
| Faculty of Engineering | 11 | 7 |
| School of Design & Environment | 10 | 7 |
| NUS Business School | 9 | 6 |
| School of Computing | 7 | 5 |
| Faculty of Law | 1 | 1 |
“Abundance and projected control of invasive house crows in Singapore”
Apr 13th
Brook, B. W., N. S. Sodhi, M. C. K. Soh & H. C. Lim, 2003. Abundance and projected control of invasive house crows in Singapore. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 67(4): 808-817.
Stray Cat Sterilisation Project At Bukit Merah View (2000)
Apr 13th
In case you missed it, this paper – Lou, E. H., 2000. Stray cat sterilisation project at Bukit Merah View. Singapore Veterinary Journal Online, 24 – is located on a page in this blog at blog.nus.edu.sg/lsm1303/scsp
A review of feral cat control (2008)
Apr 13th
Robertson, S. A., 2008. A review of feral cat control. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 10: 366-375.
Carl Zimmer on sexual cannibalism (NYT, 2006)
Apr 13th
“This Can’t Be Love,” by Carl Zimmer. The New York Times, 05 Sep 2006.
He writes about males being more cautious with hungry females and spending a longer time on females before dismounting (Lelito & Brown, 2006).
Giant Cicada emergence in the US and Cicadas in Singapore
Apr 13th
Lovely footage from Life in the Undergrowth with BBC/David Attenborough that captures the once-in-17 year emergence of cicadas and their amazing calls. Watch on the BBC Youtube page.
See also this amusing site dedicated to cicadas – Cicada Mania has lovely photos, the emergence formula and even t-shirts and mugs!
There are infrequent occurrences of large numbers of cicadas in Singapore too – see the relevant few posts in Habitatnews about cicada encounters.
Social odour in birds – Crested Auklets
Apr 13th
“Crested Auklet birds rub tick-repelling perfume on their mates during courtship.” ScienceDaily, 24 Aug 2007.
“University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher Hector Douglas has found that, for crested auklets, chemistry has both amorous and practical applications. The birds rub a citrus-like scent, secreted in wick-like feathers on their backs, on each other during courtship, a behavior called alloanointing.
It is well known among some mammals, such as peccaries, but until now was not documented among birds. His research also indicates that the behavior could help protect the birds from parasites, such as ticks.”
Does rank influence the health of an animal?
Apr 13th
The article I highlighted: Sapolsky, R. M., 2005. The influence of social hierarchy on primate health. Science, 308 (5722): 648 – 652.
Click to read (NUS login required)
The baby’s cry in a cat’s purr
Mar 31st
I mentioned this in an earlier lecture but forgot to post a link to relevant papers. Here it is!
In 2009, Ed Yong wrote of a paper that had just emerged called “The cry embedded within the purr” by Karen McComb, Anna M. Taylor, Christian Wilson and Benjamin D. Charlton. Current Biology, 19(13): R507-R508.
“When McComb analysed the acoustic structures of the different purrs, she found that the solicitation purrs have an unusual high-frequency peak that doesn’t fit with the rest of the call.
At a frequency of around 380 Hz (middle G or thereabouts), this extra sound stood out from the typical low frequencies of a purr, and is more like a cry or a meow.
The frequency is actually very similar to that of a crying infant, so small wonder that it tugs on the human heartstrings.”
McComb should have listened to my cat Xylo – there is nothing hidden about his cry component! So he is often the emissary for the other two cats.
Fish out of water – the giant mudskipper
Mar 31st
This is my favourite photo of the giant mudskipper from 2009 after taking dozens of photos over the years.
This is a fish which prefers to be out of water, and in 1998, NUS physiologists wrote that “P. schlosseri, due to its special branchial morphological and morphometric adaptation, could respire more efficiently on land than in water. … On land, P. schlosseri had a heart rate of 55 beats/min. The rate decreased to 11 beats/min within 5 min of submergence. This result indicates that P. schlosseri indeed had a higher metabolic rate on land than in water.”
- Kok, W. K., C. B. Lim, T. J. Lam, Y. K. Ip, 1998. The mudskipper Periophthalmodon schlosseri respires more efficiently on land than in water and vice versa for Boleophthalmus boddaerti. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 280(1): 86–90.
You can see them easily at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve Visitor Centre boardwalk as they swim in to avoid the rising tide. As they move in, they come into close proximity with each other and this can result in antagonistic displays between these territorial individuals. As they enter the forest, they space out and the splashes of their aggressive behaviours are less often displayed.
The giant mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri) at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve
P. schlosseri at burrow edge.
What is dawn chorus?
Mar 31st
Two easily readable references:
- “Bird Squawk: What is the dawn chorus?” BBC Science & Nature homepage. [link]
- “Bird Songs,” by Gareth Huw Davies. PBS: The Life of Birds by [BBC/]David Attenborough. [link]
See also: “Songbirds Prefer The Latest Music: Golden Oldies Just Don’t Cut It With The Chicks.” [Link]
The Honey Bee Dance language – an introductory brochure by apiculturist David Tarpy
Mar 23rd
Click to read
See more at the Apiculture Programme at NCSU.
BBC/Attenborough – Pikas
Mar 23rd
Yes, you will see cuteness personified in this highly vocal relative of the rabbit, the pika (Ochotona sp.). And David is pretty charming too…
Voices in the Sea (Marine mammal acoustics by Scripps)
Mar 23rd
See also this lecture on “Perspectives on Ocean Science: Listening to Whales” UCTelevision – link.
