LSM1303 Animal Behaviour

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-464353/The-king-jungle-doesnt-frighten-lion-whisperer.html

Animal behaviourist Kevin Richardson have a special bond with these big cats. Richardson is based in a wildlife conservation area near Johanneseburg in South Africa.

Lions have been portrayed as ferocious creatures that does not accept species other than its own. They protect their cubs and normally doesn’t allow humans to go near it, except for the Richardson; dubbed the lion whisperer.  Converse to popular media portrayal of ferocious lion preying on humans, Kevin Richardson seemed to have a special bond with them and seems to be accepted as part of the lion’s pride. Stroking and cuddling have been a huge part of the activities done together with these big cats, and as we learn about tactile communcation, it could be a display of love and affection.

READ MORE HERE: ‘The king of jungle doesn’t frighten the lion whisperer’, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-464353/The-king-jungle-doesnt-frighten-lion-whisperer.html

MORE PICTURES: Hemmy.net. http://www.hemmy.net/2007/07/16/the-lion-whisperer-kevin-richardson/

RELATED VIDEO: National Geographic News, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090323-lion-whisperer-video-ap.html

In the article, it has been mentioned that Richardson was able to be on good terms with lions from birth and under the age of one. It has also been said that Richardson is blessed with a ’special magic’ that works on other wildlife animals and he uses his feelings to guage when it is the right time to approach an animal. These lions are in kept in nature reserve and none of them are from the wild. Could this be a sign of learnt socialisation akin to different species of animals living together harmoniously since young compared to those after a certain age or a special talent bestowed?

However, from other science journal articles, this friendly behaviour and bond does not ring in accord for other species like he grizzly bear. Again, converse to the friend image portrayed in ‘The Jungle Book’, grizzly bears have been reported to kill and inflict pain on humans.

SCIENCE JOURNAL ARTICLE: Grizzly bear-human conflicts in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, 1992-2000, http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/stable/3873070?&Search=yes&term=bear&term=grizzly&term=injury&term=inflicted&term=people&term=black&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dinjury%2Bto%2Bpeople%2Binflicted%2Bby%2Bblack%2Bgrizzly%2Bbear%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3Dinjury%2Bto%2Bpeople%2Binflicted%2Bby%2Blion%26Search%3DSearch%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=2&ttl=59&returnArticleService=showArticle

Perharps, the great legendary lion whisperer, Kevin Richardson could perform his magic on these grizzly bears if treatment with love and respect can subdue these grizzly bears the same way it does for the big cats.

References:

“The King of Lion doesn’t frighten the lion whisperer” by Glenys Roberts, Mail Online. 26th June 2007.

Hemmy.net “The Lion Whisperer: Kevin Richardson”

“Lion Whisperer tempts fate” by National Geographic News, 23th March 2009

Gunther, Haroldson, Frey, Cain, Copeland, Schwartz 2004 “Grizzly bear-human conflicts in the greater yellowstone ecosystem, 1992-2000″

Original image from: Mark Thorpe, http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdiver/850157199/

• Wanted: The Mimic Octopus – a specie of octopus that has a strong ability to mimic other creatures.
• Specie: Thaumoctopus mimicus
• Size: can grow up to 60 cm (2 feet) in length.
• When not in disguise: normal colouring consists of brown and white stripes or spots.
• Usual hang-out: in the tropical seas of South East Asia
• Last seen: mimicking a banded sea-snake, darting away from the alarmed damselfish-prison-guards whose predators are banded sea-snakes. 
• Last words-quoted from its Fishbook status: I’m not as ‘sotong’ as you think! *chuckles*  

Sea dwellers beware! Do not be fooled by this con-octopus! Indeed, this intelligent creature of the deep has intrigued scientists due to its mysterious ability to mimic lionfish, flatfish, jellyfish, sea snakes and even the mantis shrimp – at least fifteen different species of sea creatures! Octopuses are known for its flexibility and capability of changing colours and texture to blend into its surroundings but the mimic octopus has managed to go a step further by mimicry. Initial discovery of this specie of octopus has amazed researchers, such as Mark Norman of the Melbourne AustraliaMuseum

The art of mimicry and camouflaging is not unknown in the animal kingdom. Among the many types of biological mimicry, the one most familiar to us will be Batesian mimicry, named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, where a harmless specie (the mimic) imitate another dangerous specie (the model) in order to ward off its predator, such as the milk snake resembling the highly venomous coral snake as we have seen in lecture. Still, if there is an Oscar Award in the animal kingdom, in my opinion, this specie of octopus owns it all. The ability to mimic many animals is termed as dynamic mimicry in Norman et al.’s study of the Mimic Octopus and this is largely beneficial since the open sand and mud habitat of the octopus is rather exposed to a huge number of predators in the sea. Thus, it does makes a lot of sense for the highly flexible Mimic Octopus to adopt an outward appearance best suited to the perceived threat at that point of time.

What is pertinent to note, however, is that the mimic octopus impersonates mostly animals that produce strong toxins such as the banded sea snakes and lion fishes to deceive its predators, as shown from the studies done by Norman and fellow researchers Julian Finn and Tom Tregenza (Mark D. Norman, Julian Finn and Tom Tregenza, 2001). This suggests that the Mimic Octopus imitates to warn off its potential predators rather than for its own predatory purpose. Below are some of the mimicry survival tactics quoted from National Geographic News:

-         Lion fish. Just above the seafloor the octopus swims with its arms spread wide and trailing from its body, mimicking the lion fish and its poisonous fins.

-         Sea snakes. Changing its color to imitate the yellow and black bands of the toxic sea snake, the octopus threads six of its arms into a hole and waves the other two arms in opposite directions so they look like two snakes. 

Enough said. Here are some forms it may take:

Mimic Octopus in various forms: flatfish; lionfish; sea snake

Image taken from: http://bbblog.ru/images/2008/11/mimic-octopus.jpg

Report to Underworld Water Prison immediately if you see it.

References:

“Newfound Octopus Impersonates Fish, Snakes”, by John Roach. National Geographic News, September 21, 2001

 Mark D. Norman, Julian Finn and Tom Tregenza (2001). Dynamic Mimicry in an Indo-Malayan Octopus. Proceedings: Biological Sciences, Vol. 268, No. 1478 (Sep. 7, 2001), pp. 1755-1758. Published by: The Royal Society

 Hemdal J. (2007). Aquarium Fish: Captive Observations of the Mimic Octopus, Thaumoctopus mimicus. Advanced Aquarist’s Online Magazine, Vol. VI, April 2007.

 Wikipedia, “Mimic Octopus”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimic_octopus  

Extracted from Cambridge University Press

Being the third largest land animal after the elephant and rhino, a hippo (Hippopotamus amphibious) can grow from 12-15 feet weighing 5-8 tons! So with a clumsy cuddly appearance, coupled with their cute eyes, small round ears, short fat legs and tummy bulges, ain’t hippopotamus cute? A perfect fit for Disney’s winning formula of a ‘Cute Character’. No wonder we have tons of hippo fluffys in stores, ranging from nameless cutesies to Gloria the Hippo in Madagascar.

But well, the eyes, ears and nostrils are located extremely high on the roof of their skull so that they can spend hot days with a majority of their body below the surface of the water. The hippopotamus needs to stay cool in the waters of tropical rivers and prevent himself from getting a sunburn and dehydration. So Mummy can i hug hippo?

What The Hippo!?

Hippos run up to 30mph. The experienced ranger must have clocked 31mph. Potential Nike Ad!

In relation to what has happened in the picture, I have some questions for everyone to think about on Human Animal Behaviour (HAC). So what led to this incident? Is it the ranger’s fault or the hippos? Could he send a wrong signal to the hippo or misread a signal from the hippo? And what can we do to prevent such incidents from happening? We might be cursing the “intruder” animal involved, and sided the human “victim”. But i bet that if animals can speak, they would swear back at us “intruders” equally if not more.

Just to cite some points from Mary Martin to answer this questions:

• ‘When you see reports of elephants running into crops or attacking people, they’re highly stressed’ [says Dr. Gay Bradshaw, a world authority on elephants]. ‘And there are multiple stressors – violence, lack of food, lack of water; their families are being broken up; their society is collapsing. All of these things are human-derived.’
• Habituation (”familiarity breeds contempt”)
• “Animals learn to fear humans under certain circumstances.  This means they’re coming closer to humans, but are prepared to defend themselves. When they’re primed by this arousal, they can have lowered thresholds for aggression and produce hair-trigger responses.’ When a wild animal is just about not-scared-enough to approach a human, but still has enough fear heating its blood to unleash a frenzy at the slightest provocation, it’s in a uniquely dangerous state.”

I think a good way to manage such Human Animal Conflicts would be to better understand the animals in our environment so as to avoid any misunderstanding, and compromised on terriorities instead of just selfish deforestation & hunting. A good way that we Singaporeans can practise HAC Management could be as simple as understanding the stray dogs & cats in our neighbourhood, to the Bukit Timah Macaques. Together, we can make this world a place for everyone.

To read more on Human Animal Conflicts:

• “Mad Cows (and Livid Lambs),” by Will Storr, Telegraph.co.uk, 8 August 2008.
• “Human Animal Conflicts,” by WWF

References

1. “Hippopotamus” National Geographic
   http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hippopotamus.html
2. “Gamekeeper flees for his life from angry hippo,” by Claire Bates, Mail Online, 7 June 2007
3. “On HAC – Human Animal Conflicts” by Mary Martin, Animal Person, 13 August 2008

While everyone knows that the cheetah is the fastest animal on land, this title belongs to the sailfish when it comes to the Underwater World. However, some of you might not even hear of the sailfish before. Hopefully more credit would be given to this fish as with the cheetah after reading this post.

Sailfish resembles the swordfish, with an elongated bill. They get their name from their dorsal fin that stretches nearly the length of their body and can reach speeds of 68 miles per hour. But what is so amazing about them is not solely their unrivalled speed, but the way they hunt. (Yes, it’s the prey-and-predator story that Nature has presented time and again.)

Photography by Paul Nicklen

Photography by Paul Nicklen

Sailfishes do not usually swim in groups. But when it comes to hunting for food, they seem to understand the advantage of teamwork. Besides speed, sailfishes herd with their sails and have a remarkable ability to change colours during the process – not only to confuse the prey but also to warn their team mates to stay back and avoid collisions among themselves!

As written in the article, “The hunt seems almost mammalian. Sailfish—which often travel in loose groups—clearly join forces. Males and females alike circle the prey, pushing the school into tighter formation, and taking a few bites in turn. Each forward rush is punctuated by a startling flare of the dorsal fin, which more than doubles the hunter’s profile.”

On the other hand, the hunted (in this case, sardines) have come up with a counter-strategy, similar to what we’ve learnt in class about the bats and the moths. “Detecting each other’s proximity and movement, they shift in synchrony, each fish both leader and follower. The fish mass slides like a drop of mercury, mesmerizing, with a shimmer that may help to confuse predators.”

Nevertheless, the outcome remains as “the survival of the fittest”. (Pardon the cliché!)

 Watch a video of the hunt here!

To learn more about predation in the Underwater World, check out “Predators of the Sea”.

 References:

1.       “In the Whirl” by Jennifer S.Holland. National Geographic, September 2008.

2.       “Sailfish – Istiophorus platypteru”. National Geographic. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/sailfish.html

3.       “Predators of the Sea”. NATURE. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/hunters/html/intro.html