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PubMed1979

Alimentary instrumental responses and neurological reflexes in amygdalar cats.

Lesions in ventromedial part of amygdala impaired neither alimentary instrumental reflexes nor food intake, but impaired predatory behavior. Lesions localized in the more dorsal and lateral part of the amygdala produced disorders in instrumental performance and food intake without changes in predatory attack. Both kind of lesions did not impair neurological reflexes, therefore the abolishment of predatory attack after ventromedial amygdala damage was not caused by sensory-motor disturbances. It is concluded that predatory behavior is based on specific mechanisms separate from both alimentary and instrumental ones.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1977

[Psychopharmacological influence on the prey catching behavior of ferrets (Putorius furo L.) (author's transl)].

The prey-catching behavior of ferrets (Putorius furo L.) consists mainly of instinctive behavior patterns, which can be elicited only through their releaser. Then they are performed stereotypically. To get information concerning the central background and the hierarchical structure of this behavior the neuroleptics Haloperidol (0.14 mg/kg), Clozapine (10 mg/kg) and Chlorpromazine (4 mg/kg) were injected i.m. under controlled conditions. In a conditioning experiment the reactivity of the animals was examined. This conditioned reaction was strongly decreased by the drugs. The reaction to the natural stimulus the prey was changed, but not suppressed. The modification of the predatory behavior was manifedsted in an "improvement" of orientation reactions when pursuing the prey and in a better placement of bites. This effect, most evident with Haloperidol, is possibly due to the specific neuroleptic component of the substances. A delay in approaching the prey, or even the total suppression of the prey-catching behavior is suggested to be due to a sedative component which was most obvious in some experiments with Clozapine. On the other hand, there are behavioral elements like the use of paws which are not effected by the neuroleptics. From these and other observations, it is concluded, that the predatory behavior of the ferret has a hierarchically organisated structure. Further it is suggested that some functional connected parts of the behavior have distinct central representation, for they are not influenced in the same way by these drugs.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Discrimination of visual stimuli representing prey versus non-prey by the praying mantis Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.).

Adult, female praying mantids, Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.), were presented with seventy, flat black rectangles which moved toward the mantids (in the horizontal plane) against a white background. The lengths of the lures' edges parallel to their direction of movement, 1(1), were 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 54, 72, or 114 mm; the edge lengths perpendicular to movement direction, 1(2), were 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30 mm. Mantids emitted the most predatory behaviors to square lures (1[1] = 1[2]) for which 1(1, 2) = 3-12 mm, and to 'worm' lures (1[1] greater than 1[2]) for which 1(2) = 1.5-6 mm. 'Anti-worm' lures (1[1] less than 1[2]) were poor releasers of predatory behavior. These results reconcile seemingly discrepant findings between studies that have presented mantids with various types of oscillating, rotating and/or three-dimensional lures. Further, the results indicate that like other terrestrial predators, such as toads, prey recognition by S. lineola is approximate and based on the spatiotemporal relationships between the features of moving objects (i.e. worm versus anti-worm). These findings are congruent with data on mantid prey selection in the wild.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The effects of background pattern and contrast on prey discrimination by the praying mantis Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.).

Tethered, adult female Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.) were presented with two groups of two-dimensional stimuli (i.e., 2-D lures) against various backgrounds. Lure Group 1 comprised various black rectangles in three different size arrays: each size array included a 2, 6, or 12 mm square, respectively, several 'worm' lures of a constant width (l2, edge perpendicular to the direction of movement, 3-30 mm), but varying in length (l1, parallel to the direction of movement, 6-114 mm), and several 'antiworm' lures of a constant length but varying width. Group 1 lures were presented against patterned backgrounds of similar luminance: one natural pattern mimicking foliage and the other a random geometric pattern of rectangles. Group 2 lures comprised various configurations and combinations of black and white lures which were presented against white, black, and natural pattern backgrounds. The appetitive behaviors of approaching and striking at a lure were dependent measures indicating that a stimulus was categorized as prey. For Group 1 lures, overall response rates to lures of the same size were enhanced by the natural pattern background rather than the geometric pattern background. Against the natural pattern background, worm lures were stronger releasers of predatory behavior than antiworm lures of the same size. Lure configuration (especially for the smallest array) was masked by the geometric pattern background, although worm versus antiworm discrimination was apparent with the largest size array. For Group 2 lures, lure-to-background contrast, as well as configuration, effected prey recognition. For instance, lures with low lure-to-background contrast ratios were weaker releasers than those with high ratios, and lures that were darker (versus lighter) than the background were stronger releasers. In addition, particular stimulus properties interacted to effect lure strength. For instance, a weak or strong releaser became stronger or weaker, respectively, when a more or less, respectively, preferred releaser was super-imposed. The results also suggest that S. lineola attends preferentially to the leading edge of a moving stimulus. These findings are in agreement with predatory behavior of praying mantises in the wild.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Predation, aggression, and activity levels in food-deprived sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus and L. gibbosus): motivational interactions.

Three experiments investigated the effects of food deprivation on several behavioral categories in two species of sunfish. In Experiment 1, predatory behavior and general activity were observed under five levels of deprivation. For both species, predation measures increased in a similar negatively accelerating manner with increasing deprivation, while activity changed in a more complex fashion. Experiment 2 examined the effects of deprivation on activity in a novel environment and showed that the deprivation effects of Experiment 1 were masked by the response to the new setting. In Experiment 3, measures of aggression toward intruders of each species were recorded from resident fish of both species under three levels of food deprivation. Both species were more aggressive toward conspecifics, and bluegills were more aggressive overall. Aggression was significatly influenced by food deprivation, with the effects dependent on the species making up the pair. Theories of motivational summation, generalized drive, and activity-mediated aggression were unable to explain the differential effects of hunger on the three behavioral categories observed. A dynamic boundary-state model of behavior control was found to predict the motivational interactions observed between distinct behavioral control systems.

Aggression↗
PubMed1988

Effects of poisoning on predatory and ingestive behavior toward artificial prey in rats (Rattus norvegicus).

Ingestion of novel prey by vertebrate predators that is followed by illness typically decreases the predators' eating the prey more readily than their pursuing or killing it. We used artificial prey-food items (rolling ball bearings that predicted food pellets) to model and extend this finding in laboratory rats. During daily experimental sessions presentations of a novel bearing-food combination were intermixed with presentations of a familiar bearing-food combination. The poisoned animals received lithium chloride injections after each session. Experiment 1a showed that: (a) Poisoning markedly decreased ingestion of the novel food without decreasing the frequency of contact (nose, seize, carry, or chew) with the novel bearing predicting that food. (b) However, poisoning did significantly decrease the average duration of contact with the novel bearing. (c) Poisoning did not decrease behavior toward the familiar food and bearing. Experiment 1b showed that after moderate exposure to pairings of the novel food and bearing, poisoning decreased behavior toward both novel and familiar food and bearings. The results indicate that important aspects of predation can be simulated and examined in the laboratory by using artificial prey-food items. These results also support the conclusions that predatory behavior and ingestion reflect separable modes of behavior and that the presence of novel prey interferes with the generalization of poisoning effects to familiar prey.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Escalation of feline predation along a gradient from avoidance through "play" to killing.

In this article, we show that feline predation involves a continuous gradient of activation between defense and attack and that predatory "play" results from an interaction of the two. Benzodiazepines (oxazepam, diazepam) escalated attack toward killing, so that cats that had avoided mice prior to the drug now played with them, cats that had originally played now killed, and cats that killed mice now did so with less preliminary contact. In such shifts, no sharp demarcation between play and predation was evident. Lateral hypothalamic lesions disrupted the escalation of attack. During recovery, attack was escalated once again along the gradient toward killing, but in the absence of both defense and play. A similar result was obtained in intact killers and nonkillers by the application of mild tail pinch. These results suggest that play with prey is a misnomer for predatory behavior that fails to escalate along the gradient between defense and attack. Movement notation analysis revealed that playful movements are adaptive in that they protect the cat from injury.

Aggression↗
PubMed1991

Measures of phototaxis and movement detection in the larval salamander.

In this investigation, we describe two precise tests of visual function that integrate quasinatural situations with time-lapse video recording and infrared computerized monitoring of activity to assess movement detection and phototaxic tendencies, respectively. Four groups of larvae from A. punctatum, A. tigrinum, A. mexicanum, and a mutant albino axolotl were tested in an alley containing light and dark halves and lined with infrared sensors to monitor their phototaxic response. A. punctatum showed no phototaxic tendency, while the other three groups displayed a strong negative phototaxic response. Enucleation of the eyes in mutant albinos eliminated the negative phototaxis. Visual detection of motion was tested by videorecording the behavior of A. punctatum, A. mexicanum, and the mutant albino axolotl larvae while they explored a large bowl with 6 small vials on the perimeter, one of which contained white worms. A. punctatum rapidly approached the worm vial and engaged in intense predatory behavior. A. mexicanum responded to the presence of worms very slowly and rapidly lost interest. Albino axolotls displayed no visual recognition of the worms. The results indicate that visual function can be precisely determined in larval salamanders utilizing behavioral measures consistent with the animal's natural tendencies.

Ambystoma↗
PubMed1992

Laboratory evaluation of Acanthocyclops vernalis and Diacyclops bicuspidatus thomasi (Copepoda: Cyclopidae) as predators of Aedes canadensis and Ae. stimulans (Diptera: Culicidae).

Predatory effectiveness of two vernal-pool copepods, Acanthocyclops vernalis (Fischer) and Diacyclops bicuspidatus thomasi (Forbes), was assessed against cohabiting larvae of Aedes canadensis (Theobold) and Aedes stimulans (Walker) in laboratory bioassays. D. b. thomasi did not exhibit predatory behavior toward first instars, even when both organisms were confined in 35-mm wells for 7 d and alternative food sources were not available. A. vernalis did feed on early instars, but its effectiveness was significantly influenced by the presence of alternate food, the size of the container, and the size and age of the larval prey. Results strongly suggest that in a comparatively unrestricted natural vernal-pool habitat where an abundance of other food sources are available, neither copepod species plays a major role in reducing larval mosquito populations.

Aedes↗
PubMed1976

Neurobiology of aggressive behavior.

Causality, neurological mechanisms, and behavioral manifestations may be heterogeneous in different forms of aggressive behavior, but some elements are shared by all forms of violence, including the necessity of sensory inputs, the coding and decoding of information according to acquired frames of reference, and the activation of pre-established patterns of response. Understanding and prevention of violence requires a simultaneous study of its social, cultural, and economic aspects, at parity with an investigation of its neurological mechanisms. Part of the latter information may be obtained through animal experimentation, preferably in non-human primates. Feline predatory behavior has no equivalent in man, and therefore its hypothalamic representation probably does not exist in the human brain. Codes of information, frames of reference for sensory perception, axis to evaluate threats, and formulas for aggressive performance are not established genetically but must be learned individually. We are born with the capacity to learn aggressive behavior, but not with established patterns of violence. Mechanisms for fighting which are acquired by individual experience may be triggered in a similar way by sensory cues, volition, and by electrical stimulation of specific cerebral areas. In monkeys, aggressive responses may be modified by changing the hierarchical position of the stimulated animal, indicating the physiological quality of the neurological mechanisms electrically activated.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Para-chlorophenylalanine, serotonin and killing behavior.

Both p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) and PCPA methyl ester were found to reliably induce mouse-killing in non-killer rats only when unusually large doses were used (three successive daily injections of 300 mg/kg) and brain serotonin (5-HT) concentration was drastically reduced (about 90 percent). Neither three doses of 100 mg/kg of PCPA nor p-chloroamphetamine (3 times 3.5 mg/kg) caused similar effects in spite of the fact that these compounds depleted brain 5-HT by 85 percent and 60 percent, respectively. PCPA-induced mouse killing was reversed by 5-HTP (100 mg/kg) only when this serotonin precursor completely restored levels of 5-HT. The topography of PCPA-induced killing did not resemble normal interspecies aggression and was also directed toward fat pups. These findings suggest that 5-HT depletion might facilitate nonspecific killing reactions, but is not a sufficient condition to induce the species-specific predatory behavior in rats.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMed1992

Hormonal and neurochemical correlates of various forms of animal "aggression".

The majority of studies attempting to evaluate the roles of hormones and neurochemicals in "aggression" concern laboratory rodents, notably rats and mice, with fewer investigations on infrahuman primates. Studies suggest that situations used to assess aggression (e.g., social conflict tests, parental attack, predatory behavior, use of unavoidable electroshock) actually tap a diverse range of motivations whose functions include offense, defense and predation. It is also apparent that ethoexperimental techniques, i.e., those applying ethological methodologies and concepts to laboratory situations, have advantages in assessing the direct and indirect consequences of chemical treatments. In this review, the impacts of hormonal manipulation (by surgery and/or application) and varying neurotransmitters (studied in terms of regional changes and as consequences of drug treatments) on a variety of forms of behavior are assessed. Different tests do show varying responses to common treatments, confirming the heterogeneity of the available paradigms. A brief discussion is provided of which tests are likely to prove most relevant to clinical studies.

Aggression↗
PubMed1992

The humeroscapular bone of the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) and other raptors.

A small, separate, bony density dorsal to the shoulder joint is radiographically visible in several species of large hawks and owls. Gross dissection and histological examination show the bone to lie on the deep surface of the major deltoid muscle in intimate association with the dorsal coracohumeral ligament of the shoulder joint. The tendon of the supracoracoideus muscle passes immediately cranial to the humeroscapular bone. Two ligaments distinct from the shoulder joint capsule attach the humeroscapular bone to the proximal humerus: one passes to the proximal edge of the pectoral crest of the humerus, and the other passes to the ventral tubercle of the humerus. The bone was described as the humeroscapular bone in reference to a similar fibrocartilaginous structure possessed by some birds. The humeroscapular bone is present in the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), the screech owl (Otus asio), the barred owl (Strix varia), the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicencis), the Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii), and the sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus). The bone is absent in the barn owl (Tyto alba), the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), the golden eagle (Aquila chysaetos), and the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), though some of these species possessed a similar fibrocartilaginous structure. Whether the humeroscapular structure develops as bone or cartilage in a given species may be related to other morphological features of the wing, and/or to characteristics of the predatory behavior of the species. Clinicians and anatomists dealing with birds of prey must be aware of the presence of the humeroscapular bone to avoid misinterpreting it as a fracture fragment.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Fifty-day observation of a free-ranging adult male chimpanzee.

An adult male chimpanzee living in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, was observed for 50 consecutive days during the 1974 dry season, for a total of 563 h. This individual, Figan, was the alpha male of a community of 42 chimpanzees. The composition and size of temporary associations within the community was influenced largely by the presence of one estrus female and by characteristics of the food resources. Figan's daily time budget varied little for travel and grooming, but there were major changes in time spent feeding tha inactive over the 50 days. Predatory behavior occurred periodically and meat was eaten on five occasions. Agonistic and sexual behaviors are discussed relative to Figan's high social status. A cooperative relationship was maintained between Figan and his older brother.

Agonistic Behavior↗
PubMed1975

Ethological studies in the ant Tetramorium caespitum Mayr. I. Foraging and building behavior.

Carrying heavy objects is a common element in the foraging and building behavior of ants. The initial stages of this behavior, i.e., lifting and moving in T. caespitum displayed as stereotyped patterns of movement. These patterns do not improve as the ants become older and more experienced, which suggest their congenital nature. Growing experience of ants is manifested in the later stages of the transportation of heavy objects, and especially in entering the correct opening of the nest with the carried prey. When a foraging ant leaves its nest to return to the prey it initially moves in the general direction of its objective. It is not until a certain distance from the nest is reached, that the ant is able to use olfactory stimuli to locate and follow its previous path. These observations indicate that the representatives of this species do not learn an exact way to and from the nest but instead have a memory for direction. The congenital character of these basic elements of foraging and building behavior allows the existence of a social organization without a division of work and foraging areas.

Animals↗