Animal Behavior

Animal Communication: The act of communicating is not just a human trait. From insects and birds to fish and mammals, most animals use some type of communication to help them get food, find a mate, and protect their territory. "Animal Communication" explores the many different ways in which animals communicate and examines some of the latest scientific discoveries involving animal intelligence and communication. Readers will also learn how scientists are working to make the dream of communicating directly with animals a reality.


Animal Courtship: Animal courtship is a process that results in two mature members of a species becoming a couple, usually with the intent to mate and produce offspring. Different species of bugs, birds, fish, shellfish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals have their unique sets of courtship rules and rituals. In "Animal Courtship", learn how various species attract mates, including those that sing, dance, glow, or even attack.


Animal Defenses: Insects that look like leaves, snakes that play dead, fish that fly, and toads with poisonous skin - these animals are among the many creatures that defend themselves in fascinating ways. Almost every animal is hunted as food by some other kind of animal and has developed ways to defend itself against predators. "Animal Defenses" presents the wide variety of physical and behavioral adaptations used by animals in their struggle to survive and shows how scientists continue to make new discoveries about the age-old maneuvering between predator and prey.


Animal Hunting and Feeding: All animals have to eat, but feeding behavior goes far beyond predators and prey. Animals have a variety of ways to find food. Some sit and wait for food to come to them. Others chase or trap their food. Other animals are scavengers and decomposers, breaking down the leftovers of other animals' meals. "Animal Hunting and Feeding" explains these various techniques as well as the importance of food chains and food webs.


Animal Life in Groups: Living in groups has been an animal survival strategy for millions of years. "Animal Life in Groups" explores the social lives of insects, meerkats, primates, and others, with a special emphasis on how such packs compare to one another and how they benefit individual members. From hives to shellfish herds to complex cultures, the intricacies of community living are both amazing and instructive about the evolution of behavior, cooperation, intelligence, and emotions.


Animal Migration: Migration is one of the most fascinating and dramatic of all animal behaviors. From insects and birds to reindeer and giant whales, many animals fly, swim, walk, and even hitchhike in search of better food, milder climate, or suitable mate. Some cross entire oceans; a few even circle the globe. These marathon journeys animals take are filled with great tests of physical strength and endurance--as well as danger and sometimes death. In Animal Migration, learn why animals are compelled to migrate and the various patterns and cycles of their migrations.