LSM1303 Animal Behaviour

There is a specific breed of goat that “faints” whenever it gets startled. It is a breed of domestic goat whose external muscles freeze for roughly 10 seconds when the goat is startled. Though painless, this generally results in the animal collapsing on its side with the side effect of everyone around laughing their asses off.

Myotonic Goats (video)

(http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/animals-pets-kids/mammals-kids/goat-fainting-kids.html)

These unfortunate animals have a genetic abnormality which means that if they are scared, rather than running away they suffer a muscular reflex which causes the legs to stiffen & (particularly in the young goat) the animal to fall over, unable to move for around 10-15 seconds although the goat is fully conscious throughout.  Believed to be a mutation originally caused by a form of rabies, the abnormality survived as the goats were kept by sheep breeders so that if a predator attacked the flock, the goat was literally sacrificed to allow the sheep to escape.

Although extensive research has been done on these goats, there have never been any conclusive results that indicate why they behave the way that they do. ‘Studies of an animal model of dominant MC (the myotonic goat) revealed reduced muscle cell membrane chloride conductance as the basis of the disorder. This suggested the skeletal muscle voltage gated chloride channel as a strong candidate gene’

After knowing this misfortunate that these goats have, maybe we shall think twice before laughing at them. (though it is really amusing)

(Don't laugh at me, I just couldn't help it)

References:

Brain 2007 130(12):3265-3274; doi:10.1093/brain/awm24.© The Author (2007). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/animals-pets-kids/mammals-kids/goat-fainting-kids.html

http://www.nature.com/bjp/index.html

Killer Whales VS Sea Lions

The video above depicts two killer whale siblings on a hunt for their prey. What is extraordinary about the video is that after they have consumed the daily required intake, they start playing with their prey and return it back to the shore from whence it came. This act of mercy has confounded behavioral scientists alike; instead of just eating the prey or perhaps leaving it to fend for itself, the whales actually brought it back to its original location.

Early descriptions of “whale killers” or “killers of whales” gave rise to the common name killer whale. More in vogue is the name orca, from the species’ scientific label, Orcinus orca, but for those who know Latin, “whale from the underworld of the dead” is hardly an image upgrade. Strictly speaking, orcas are not whales. They are the world’s largest, brawniest dolphins, found in every ocean. With enormous reserves of speed and strength, one of the biggest brains in existence—four times the weight of a human’s—and no natural enemies as adults, they have staked a claim as the supreme predators across 71 percent of the planet. What do they do when they meet a great white shark? Lunch, according to witnesses.¹

They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds. Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator. Killer whales hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals. There appear to be both resident and transient pod populations of killer whales. These different groups may prey on different animals and use different techniques to catch them. Resident pods tend to prefer fish, while transient pods target marine mammals. All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs.²

The act of mercy as shown in the video has not been restricted to only killer whales. Other species have been known to exhibit this tendency too. Foxes have been known to play with captured prey after they have satisfied their necessary daily intake. In the book Animal Minds, the Author Donald Griffin describes an observation of a six-month old red fox who extensively appeared to release a captured shrew intentionally and return it to the vicinity of its burrow. This fox had caught and immediately eaten one mouse, then caught another with which he “played vigorously for several minutes”. After it had been killed the fox carried it some distance and cached it.

Although this showed he was no longer hungry, he soon captured a shrew, which he carried some distance to an open roadway where he began to play with it. The fox’s behaviour was also described as leaping around, dancing about the shrew who runs over to one side of the road before the fox herds it back to the center. After 45 seconds of playing with the animal, the fox does an extraordinary thing. He picks the shrew up in his mouth, walks back down the slope to where he captured the prey and then with a toss of his head spits the shrew out directly at a small burrow. Perhaps there is the possibility that animals cache their food in order for future perusal, instead of trying to eat everything in sight. ³

Humans could learn a thing or two about greed, or the lack of it from these creatures. The symbiotic nature of the environment would definitely have a role to play in explaining such phenomena and we could take our cues from the animal kingdom in a bid to stave off world hunger perhaps?

More information on Killer Whales:

• http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/Animal-bytes/animalia/eumetazoa/coelomates/deuterostomes/chordata/craniata/mammalia/cetacea/killer-whale.htm

• http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/killer-whale/diet.htm

Videos On Killer Whales hunting Prey:

• http://odeo.com/episodes/23491062-Animals-Attack-Killer-Whale-vs-Sea-Lion

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7940208.stm

^References

Here I present to you: the Basilisks.

Credits to Edgley Cesar on flickr

They are lizards that live in tropical and sub-tropical forests. It spends most of their time on ground and near water areas. The green or brown colours on their bodies allow them to camouflage easily on forest grounds. They can be easily recognized by the crest above their heads. Because of their crests, they are thought to related with dinosaurs.

The amazing part: They can walk on water.

Okay, maybe they don’t “walk”. They do that at a faster speed. Basilisks actually cycle or run on water. This is the reason why they are called the Jesus Christ Lizard. I am guessing that another reason could be there will be people who will say “Oh Jesus Christ!” when they see this.

They perform this stunt when they are fleeing from predators. The trick behind this is the presence of fringes at the sides of their hind toes. As they dash across water surface, the surface area of their feet are able to support their weight. For this to succeed, the momentum of the run is crucial for the escape. Of course, they can’t run across oceans. They can only achieve records for short distances. Sometimes, when they cannot make it in time to land, they will just disappear into the rivers, leaving predators at banks to wander where they have gone.

Just another interesting fact:

Juveniles and adults have different water-running abilities. According to Glasheen and McMahon, juveniles are able to run farther and faster than the adult Basilisks due to their size differences.

My advice is PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!! You’ve been warned.

Credits to Joachim S. Müller on flickr

Reference:

Journal Article

Glasheen J.W. and McMhon T.A. (1996). Size-dependence of water-running ability in Basilisk Lizards (Basiliscus Basiliscus). The Journal of Experimental Biology 199, pp. 2611–2618

Book

Jonathan A. Campbell (1998). Amphibians and reptiles of Northern Guatemala, the Yucatán, and Belize. Pp. 148-150. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GhoqxyLETKcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA148&dq=basilisks&ots=FnJYlbVG3Y&sig=l1RV_hePnAxpZW5zOAv4nJGjbwQ#

In the midst of my regular time-killing Facebook surfing, I chanced upon this video shared by my friend on his Facebook account.

That’s right. Fainting Goats.

Laughing now, at the sight of these goats? Are you just as amused at how silly they looked, falling down awkwardly on the grass from slight triggers of shock contributed by the people in the video?

These goats had no choice. Yup! It’s not a “feigning” characteristic they possess, but a genetic disorder instead!

Background Information

Fainting Goats, also known as Tennessee Fainting Goats, Wooden Leg Goats, are actually suffering from a genetic disorder called Myotonic Congenita. This is a condition in which the ‘muscle cells experience prolonged contraction when the goat is startled. The transitory stiffness associated with these contractions can cause the goat to fall down^’.  It is caused by a ‘combination of recessive genes’. ‘This is not a true faint, but a muscular phenomenon unrelated to the nervous system. The degree of stiffness varies from goat to goat, with some showing a consistently stiff response and others exhibiting stiffness only rarely’. It is not a seizure – it doesn’t hurt. After relaxing for about 10 to 15 seconds, they are able to jump back up and resume their activities prior to the startle.

This is obviously an unlearnt behaviour, which applies to all sex and generally the younger generation of goats. This fainting behaviour is lost with growth as ‘older goats learn to spread their legs or lean against something when startled, and often they continue to run about in an awkward, stiff-legged shuffle’.

Picture of a poor young goat stiffened up due to an unexpected startle or scare.

The disadvantages in life faced by the Fainting Goats

Have you ever wondered how would it be like for these goats to survive in the wilderness? For me, the future is bleak, especially for the younger goats which are unwillingly inflicted with such behaviour.

Imagine this scenario – a pack of wolves approach grass grazing sheep and these goats in stealth. Just when they decided to pounce and prey on the flock of sheep, the distressed sheep would then be in their “fight and flight” mode, making a clean getaway while the younger goats would “faint” as per the name of their breed. Wolves then turn their attention and wag their tongues towards these fallen goats instead.

HOW UNFAIR FOR THE GOATS! :( :( :(

Lucky for them, due to their docile and friendly character, they have become ideal pets in the region where they were believed to have originated from – Tennessee.

HOWEVER! It was also due to them being ‘less apt to climb fences and escape from pastures than other goats, and their muscular conformation and high reproductive rate were also valued’. Farmers began to appreciate them. They are then reared for their meat, for ‘Myotonia causes them to have excellent meat to bone ratio and very little body fat. These factors contribute to their flavour, which is described as mild and quite pleasant, especially for people who don’t like “goaty” tasting meat’.

Okay maybe not so lucky after all. :(

More protection in the future?

But things MAY change for the Fainting Goats. It is increasingly recognized as an ‘important genetic resource in the United States’, and it is under ‘high conversation priority’. Hopefully with more understanding and appreciation of the Fainting Goats, their survival would not be at stake in the near future.

So, still laughing?

References

“http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/tenngoat.html” Breed Information: Tennessee Fainting Goats. The American Lifestock Breeds Conservancy. (Last Accessed: 14 April 2009)

“http://www.faintinggoat.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=2” Breed Information. International Fainting Goat Association. (Last Accessed: 14 April 2009)

“http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/ark_product_detail/tennessee_fainting_goat/” Ark of Taste: Tennessee Fainting Goat. SlowFood USA. (Last Accessed: 14 April 2009)

“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fainting_goat“ Wikipedia: Fainting Goat. (Last Accessed: 14 April 2009)

One of my favourite things to watch on the Discovery Channel is Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs, where he bravely (or insanely) takes on tasks that would make your stomach churn. In one particular episode, Mike heads to Ohio’s West Sister Island to help bird conservation workers band and count young herons and egrets on the island. Amongst the bird populations on the island are species such as the Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and Double-crested Cormorants.

West Sister Island in Ohio

Photo by Michael Baird

How is banding birds particularly dirty, you ask?

Well, there is a reason why the island is affectionately nicknamed “Vomit Island”.

Photo by Lee Tiah Khee

It turns out that the island is infamous for birds vomiting and pooping from their high perch atop the trees. The fact that the island is mostly covered with tall hackberry trees certainly creates the right conditions for anyone walking through to fully experience and embrace the essence of “Vomit Island”.

…not that anyone would want to.

The question is, why do these birds vomit on intruders?

This strange phenomenon would seem like a counter-intuitive thing to do, throwing out all the food you’ve wasted energy gathering throughout the day. However, this defense vomiting actually does serve a few purposes.

Whenever the birds feel threatened or are in danger of predation, throwing up can be an efficient way to drop the extra weight and fly off faster. It is also very distracting to the predator when half-digested, foul smelling food is thrown their way. Sometimes, the predator may even give up chase to go for the undigested food that was thrown up. The birds of Vomit Island mainly use this tactic, similar to many other water birds such as pelicans, as well as Turkey vultures.

Photo by Michael Baird

Black-naped Terns also use a form of vomiting as defense. Their vomit is different from the unpleasant substances that Turkey vultures and herons chuck up. Instead, terns regurgitate “stomach oil that is made up of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, glyceryl and wax esters that are derived mainly from their food”. Besides distracting predators with the foul smell, these oils are difficult to remove from the feathers, hindering the predator’s flight ability (Deng, Lee & Wee, 2008).

It’s a completely disgusting method, but an extremely effective adaptation to deter and distract predators, don’t you think?

So the next time someone refuses to get off your back, maybe you should try a little defense vomiting.

References

“Dirty Jobs: Vomit Island Workers Recap“, from TV.com. Retrieved 13 April, 2009.

“West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge – Wildlife and Habitat“, from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 13 April, 2009.

“Turkey Vulture Facts“, from Turkey Vulture Society. Retrieved 13 April, 2009.

“Banding Pelicans“, by Sharon Stiteler. Retrieved 13 April, 2009.

S. H. Deng, T. K. Lee & Y. C. Wee, 2008. Black-naped terns (Sterna sumatrana Raffles, 1822) mobbing a grey heron (Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758). Nature in Singapore, 1: 117-127.

J. Warham, 1976. The incidence, function and ecological significance of petrel stomach oils. Proceedings of the New Zealand Ecological Society, 24: 84-93.

So, how clever are you? Do you know the answer?

If you think it is the Lion or Cheetah, you are wrong.

If you said Hyena, you are still wrong…

The answer is……

The Mighty Strong

HIPPOPOTAMUS!!!

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelphotos/576254119/

Weird, isn’t it?

Apparently, due to its built(chubby) and diet(herbivorve), many explorers thought that the hippo is a safe animal to approach. NoNoNo! This is the fatal mistake, hippo are territorial and unpredictable. Despite having a chubby and friendly outlook, the hippo can easily outrun most humans (other than Usain Bolt, 0lympic ‘08 Gold Medalist) and is a violent-tempered animal.[1]

“The Hippo kills more humans in Africa than any other wild animals.” [2]

“One of the rules in Africa, if you see a hippo, head the other way!” [2]

Nonetheless, there is still a very unique Hippo by the name of Jessica. Jessica is a seven years old “washed up” female hippo that lives with Tony and his wife.

She actually enjoys sweet coffee and even munch their dogs, oops, with their dogs.

When she is still hungry, she knows where to look for more food, she head to the kitchen by opening the main door. Interestingly, she is capable of opening door by using the door knob. Amazing! She actually learnt it. (Wonder how she learnt!?! )

See Jessica here! and here!

Hippo that loves sweet coffee and sleeps at Human Home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NueKXS6dk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pgUerxGSsc

FEW Thinking points:

1) How did Jessica become so domesticated? Would this interaction be possible for all “washed up” hippos?

2) Are hippos capable of learning?

3) I believe most humans would like to interact so comfortably with hippos and vice versa, but would this be good for the hippos? What are the effects of urbanisation seen in this clip?

P.S. Don’t you think she look so cute in her own bed too?

Printscreen from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NueKXS6dk&feature=related

References:

[1] “Hippopotamus”, by Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus#Aggression

[2] “Jessica the Hippo”, at Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NueKXS6dk&feature=related

CUTE LITTER CRITTER

The star-nosed mole (Condylura Cristata) gives a totally new meaning to the term “fast food.” This mole has moves that can put David Blaine to shame: It can detect small prey animals and gulp them down with a speed that the human eye can’t follow.

The star-nosed mole, operating in the darkness of its burrow, can detect the presence of a tasty tidbit, such as an insect larva or tiny worm, determine that it is edible and gulp it down in 230 milliseconds!!

IN MY FULL GLORY

The secret to the star-nosed mole’s impressive foraging ability is the star-shaped set of appendages that ring its nose. The 22 appendages that ring its nose have a much larger surface area than the sensitive area of an ordinary mole nose. The flexible fingers also allow the star-nose to tap objects in its environment at a much faster rate.

This ability to handle prey so quickly and efficiently seems to provide the star-nosed mole with a real advantage: It should be able to live on a diet of smaller animals than its slow-poke competitors like the shrews and other kinds of moles.

This little critter is not simply a super-fast forager, it is in fact moving about as fast as its brain and nervous system will allow. When the mole touches a new object, its brain takes about eight milliseconds to determine whether it is edible. Given the minute timing involved, it is unsurprising that they frequently make mistakes.

RAWR!!!!

GONE IN MILLISECONDS!!!!!! EAT THAT NICHOLAS!! :p

References

Journal

1) The Journal of Comparative Neurology, Volume 351 Issue 4, Pages 549 – 567: Organization of the somatosensory cortex of the star-nosed mole, Kenneth C. Catania, Jon H. Kaas

2) he Journal of Comparative Neurology, Volume 365 Issue 3, Pages 343 – 354: Ultra structure of the Eimer’s organ of the star-nosed mole, Kenneth C. Catania

3) Bioscience, Vol.46, No.8 (Sep 1996), Pages 578-586: The Unusual Nose and Brain of the Star-nosed mole, Kenneth C. Catania, John H, Kaas

Websites

4) http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Condylura_cristata.html

5) “The Most Interesting Animals on the Planet: Star-nosed moles,” by Chan Lee Peng. Scienceray, 12 Oct 2008

“Wild male chimps that share meat with females double their chances of having sex with those females, a new study says” nationalgeographic.com

www.flickr.com

“Steps to Win a Girl’s Heart:

-          Prove that you really love her

-          Most girls like guys with confidence and courage

-          Care for her    “ wikiHow.com

See any similarities?

This goes to show that guys engaging in courtship for sex is purely an evolutionary trait passed down from our ape ancestors. So don’t blame them for being sexually rather than emotionally driven when it comes to love, blame it on our genes.

On a more serious note, this article does provide insights into aspects of chimpanzee behavior, in particular, the idea that hunting has an additional sexual motivation.

Meat is not only nutritionally important as a protein source for chimps, it is socially important as well. Meat is highly prized in their diet, and most of the time the males do the hunting. Furthermore, the killer usually has full rights to the meat. In this way, being able to kill and share meat with a female gives an indication of social stature and ability in the male. Since the social structure of chimps is based on hierarchy, males with more meat to share are more dominant when it comes to matings.

However, a study conducted by Mitani and Watts (2001) on chimps at Ngogo in Kibale National Park does not support the hypothesis that male chimps hunt solely to obtain meat that they swap for matings. It shows that the presence of oestrous females did not predict the tendency for chimps to hunt. Although several factors are likely to affect chimpanzee hunting decisions and meat sharing, the results indicate that primary causes will not be found through invoking simple reproductive considerations.

Reference

John C. Mitani and David P. Watts (2001). “Why chimpanzees hunt and share meat?” Animal Behaviour 61 pp. 915-924.

While we are eating our sambal sotong at a seafood restaurant by the beach, enjoying the sea breeze, it is a harsh world out there deep under the sea. The ’sotongs’ have a tough decision to make, either they lay their eggs deep in the sea on the ocean bed leaving them vulnerable to predators, or they carry the eggs around and after hatching, the exhausted mothers themselves are left vulnerable to predators. The catch: the eggs comes in thousands, often the combined size of all the eggs are way larger than the body of a single mother squid.

Most species of squid opted for the first. During mating season, they dive deep into the sea and lay their eggs on the ocean floor, leaving them to hatch on their own. However, scientists discovered recently, that the Gonatus Onyx decided to trade their own survivability for that of their young.

This squid, Gonatus Onyx, was discovered to be taking care of its eggs instead of leaving them lying around the ocean bed, waiting to be eaten up.

“Laying eggs on the ocean floor is quick and costs little in terms of energy; the penalty is a lowered chance of survival for the young.

Carrying the eggs around is far more expensive in energy terms, and does seem to affect the mothers severely. “

Links:

The link to the article on BBC News – Science\Nature: First images of baby squid care

A short one-page scientific article published on Nature: Post-spawning egg care by a squid (requires logging on to NUS account)

The full scientific paper on Gonatus Onyx: Life history of Gonatus onyx (requires logging on to NUS account)

Analysis:

This behaviour that we’re looking at actually comes from the fight for survival. Because the Gonatus Onyx is one of the most common squid in the Pacific and Atlantic ocean, they are also being highly predated on. This became a cost vs benefit situation, which over time, has evolved into the current state.

Cost: mother squid spend more time and energy taking care and protecting the eggs by carrying them around. After the the eggs hatched, the mother squid herself became weak and thus more vulnerable to predators.

Benefit: The chances of survival of the thousands of baby squids increased greatly.

Conclusion: The mother squid sacrificed itself for the survival of its babies. She traded her own life for thousands of her offsprings to survive. In this case, the benefits of this behavior greatly outweighs the cost, hence the population of Gonatus Onyx will continue to thrive.

References:

• “First Images of Squid Care” by BBC News, Science/Nature. 15 dec 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4530980.stm
• Seibel, B.A., F.G. Hochberg & D.B. Carlini. 2000. Life history of Gonatus onyx (Cephalopod: Teuthoidea): deep-sea spawning and post-spawning egg care. Marine Biology 137(3): 519-526.
• “Post-spawning egg care by a squid” Brad A Seibel; Bruce H Robison; Steven H D Haddock. Nature, Vol 438: pg. 929
• Picture from: http://tolweb.org/onlinecontributors/app?service=external/ViewImageData&sp=11834