Animal Studies Commons^™

Meeting Of The Elephant Interest Group At Michigan State University, June 21, 1977, Jeheskel Shoshani

Elephant

Digest of the minutes of the first informal meeting of the Elephant Interest Group at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mamalogists (ASM).

Struggle To Save Dolphins Continuing

Close Up Reports

The Humane Society of the United States has initiated a nationwide boycott of a tuna products until real progress is made in reducing the needless slaughter of porpoises in tuna nets.

In the Spring of 1976, HSUS first asked its members to refrain from buying tuna because of the high porpoise mortality and the tuna industry's unwillingness to adopt any research porpoise-saving procedures. Recently, HSUS Program Coordinator Patricia Forkan called for a nationwide boycott of tuna.

Visual Detection Of Cryptic Prey By Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata), Alexandra T. Pietrewicz, Alan Kamil

Avian Cognition Papers

Blue jays learned to respond differentially to the presence or absence of Catocala moths in slides. This detection of the moths by the jays was affected by the background upon which the moth was placed and its body orientation, thus providing an objective measure of crypticity. These procedures are useful for the study of visual detection of prey.

The Nursing Posture Of Domestic Sows And Related Behaviour, D. Fraser

Rearing Behavior Collection

The nursing behaviour of the sow commonly involves upward rotation of the udder, movements of the head and legs, and rhythmic grunting. Aspects of this behaviour were studied in several experiments with pregnant females, juveniles males, and suckling piglets. Many pregnant females lay down and assumed the nursing posture when their udders were first rubbed by hand. Those which initially appeared agitated in the experimenter's presence often failed to do so until after some habituation to the procedure. When the upper and lower rows of teats were rubbed alternately, the udder was usually rotated toward the stimulation. This rotation, like …

An Attempt To Find Auditory Communication In The Squirrel Monkey Via Cooperative Conditioning, Michael T. Bardo

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Special Report On Zoo Reform

Special Reports

The Humane Society of the United States has taken the lead for the past 3 1/2 years in reforming American zoos. HSUS has awakened Americans to the fact that wild animals have been caged inhumanely for many decades in the nation's zoos and that major and drastic actions are necessary to correct these problems. While HSUS has continued to insist that no wild animal should be exploited simply to create an attraction or exhibit, such is not the state of the world as it exists today. Consequently, HSUS is determined to do everything in its power to alleviate the suffering …

The Behaviour Of Swine, J. P. Signoret, B. A. Baldwin, D. Fraser, E. S. E. Hafez

Mammalogy Collection

The pig was a forest-dwelling animal from the beginning of its history. In some parts of the world it has been domesticated for at least 7000 years. The European breeds of domestic swine were derived from the local wild pig, Sus scrofa. Herds ranged in pastures and forests and kept indoors only for fattening. The breeds in the Far East were derived from another wild pig, Sus vittatus, a smaller animal with shorter legs and a higher reproductive ability (Mohr 1960; Zeuner 1963). The two types interbred readily. The modem breeds of pig evolved from different crossings between the two …

Special Report On Controlling America's Pet Population

Special Reports

HSUS estimates that public and private animal control programs cost the nation as much as $500 million a year. Much of this expense is required for the feeding and care of unwanted animals during the 5 to 10 days they are held for adoption, killing the 80% that are not adopted or redeemed, and disposing of the carcasses. The result is both an unconscionable waste of life and a needless drain on public and private money.

A large part of the blame for people undertaking pet ownership without having made a total commitment to the animal lies with the pet …

Social Play In Coyotes, Wolves, And Dogs, Marc Bekoff

Ethology Collection

No abstract provided.

Social Play And Play-Soliciting By Infant Canids, Marc Bekoff

Ethology Collection

The development of social interaction was studied in infant coyotes, beagles, and wolves. In this paper, social play behavior is discussed. Social play may be characterized in a number of ways: (i) actions from various contexts are incorporated into labile (unpredictable) temporal sequences; (ii) the "play bout" is typically preceded by a metacommunicative signal which indicates "what follows is play"; these signals are also observed during the bout; (iii) certain actions may be repeated and performed in an exaggerated manner; (iv) the activity appears "pleasurable" to the players.

By comparing these three species, some insight into the dynamics of social …

The Development Of Social Interaction, Play, And Metacommunication In Mammals: An Ethological Perspective, Marc Bekoff

Ethology Collection

Analysis of the dynamics of the ontogeny of social interaction is of critical importance in order that behavioral development may be comprehended in its own right, and the relationship between infant and adult behavior understood. In this review, general concepts of behavioral development in mammals are discussed and analyzed, and the many variables that are involved are considered. When it is impossible to control or observe the social interaction of the developing organism in its natural environment, captive subjects should be used. There is increasing evidence that results obtained with the latter are related to social organization observed in the …

Special Report On Hunting

Special Reports

The Humane Society contends that the use of amateur hunters to reduce an overabundant deer herd does not conform with the principles of sound wildlife management. The Humane Society is strongly opposed to any method of culling herds of deer that does not deliver an instant and reasonably merciful death.

Special Report On Zoos

Special Reports

In many ways, The Humane Society has become the Ralph Nader of the zoo world, spurring into action the individuals or municipalities who own zoos, the staffs who operate them, the taxpayers who are in the end responsible for their existence, and the federal officials who are now required to ensure that they meet certain standards.

Grooming Behavior And Competitive Dominance In The Albino Rat, Irwin M. Spigel, Susan Trivett, David Fraser

Social Behavior Collection

An experiment sought to compare dominance manifested in water competition under two levels of deprivation, with grooming activity in a non-deprived state. While competitive dominance was significantly related to motivational level, grooming emerged as a more stable indicator of social ascendance, and did not require prior manipulation of a biological state. The implications of this observation for broader aspects of social motivation arc discussed.

An Investigation Of The Behavior Of Citellus Townsendii Townsendii (Bachman) In Central Washington, Mark Roy Fuller

All Master's Theses

This study of the behavior of Citellus townsendii townsendii was based on field observations of animals at their northern most distribution. The squirrels' seasonal activity and behavioral repertoire, when considered with environmental parameters, suggest important adaptations for survival. The animals were in torpor from about July to February. Activity generally occurred during the midmorning hours, allowing them to avoid temperature extremes. Quantitative analysis of behavioral observations indicated that most activities occurred in a non-random order.

The Breeding Biology Of The Western Tanager (Piranga Ludoviciana), Gary G. Benson

All Master's Theses

In 1969 a two-year study was undertaken in an effort to enlarge our knowledge of the life history of the western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana). Bent (1958) summarizes the literature on the western tanager, and a review of his work clearly shows an almost total absence of detailed information on the species' life history. To obtain this information, observations were conducted from 1 May through 29 July 1969. A few observations were made during the 1968 breeding season.

Special Report On Animal Overpopulation: Breeding Surplus Dogs And Cats Causes Suffering

Special Reports

Overbreeding has created a surplus of nearly 50 million dogs and cats. These animals are unwanted and homeless. Some of them--the lucky ones--will get a quick, merciful death at humane society shelters. Most, however, haven't even the hope of being reached and protected from suffering in the 3,000 or more communities without humane societies. Instead, they roam the country--starving, thirsting, suffering from disease and injury.

This is suffering on a massive scale. Many factors contribute to it. Commercial interests like pet shops, for example, are partly to blame in suggesting there is money in breeding puppies and kittens. Veterinarians who …

The Role Of Adventitious Reinforcement In Operant Discrimination, Alan Kamil, John W. Davenport

Avian Cognition Papers

Rats were trained in 2 S^D-S^Δ discrimination experiments in which the effects of an S^D-postponement contingency during S^Δ and temporal regularity of S^Δ duration were assessed. Experiment I showed that discrimination is markedly facilitated by the presence of an S^D-postponement contingency of either fixed or variable duration. Experiment II showed that variable-duration S^Δ periods in a noncontingent schedule can also greatly enhance formation of an operant discrimination. These effects were attributed to differences in the probability of adventitious reinforcement of S^Δ behavior by S^D events.