Principles of Animal Behaviour

This textbook for advanced graduate and postgraduate veterinary students introduces animal behavior, offering insights into its origins, cognitive aspects, communication, environmental influences, biological mechanisms, complex behaviors, adaptive strategies, and practical applications. The initial chapters present fundamental principles underpinning animal behavior, elucidating the roles of evolution, genetics, and ecology. Subsequent chapters introduce the role of natural selection, habitat selection, and pheromones, along with exploring conflicts, predator-prey dynamics, and the impact of domestication on behavior. The book further delves into topics such as habitat selection, foraging strategies, predator-prey dynamics, and the effects of domestication on behavior. It unravels the mysteries of animal defenses, altruism, social dominance, territoriality, and the finely tuned art of food and habitat selection. Additionally, it covers the biological mechanisms governing behavior, unearthing the roles played by neuroendocrinology, biological clocks, and genetics. Towards the end, the textbook examines the practical relevance of behavioral insights in veterinary science.