Principles of Animal Behavior

The scientific study of animal behavior is conducted under the domain of ethology. It primarily focuses on the behavior of animals under natural conditions and views it as an evolutionary adaptive trait. It generally focuses on behavioral processes instead of particular animal groups. Understanding of animal behavior plays an important role in animal training. Some of the learning characteristics which are studied within this field are habituation, associative learning, imprinting and observational learning. Ethology also studies animal communication and emotions in animals. Communication in animals refers to the transfer of information from a single animal or a group of animals to one or more animals. Such information generally affects the current or future behavior of the receivers. This book unfolds the innovative aspects of animal behavior which will be crucial for the holistic understanding of the subject matter. Some of the diverse topics covered in this book address the varied branches that fall under this category. It will serve as a valuable source of reference for those interested in this field.