Animal behavior is the scientific study of the observable actions, interactions, and behavioral patterns of animals, typically investigated within ethology, behavioral ecology, and comparative psychology. It encompasses mechanisms (proximate causes such as neural, hormonal, and genetic control), development (ontogeny and learning), function (adaptive value in survival and reproductive success), and evolution (phylogenetic history and divergence among taxa). Research on animal behavior quantifies activities such as foraging, mating systems, parental care, communication, social organization, and antipredator strategies, often integrating experimental, observational, and modeling approaches to understand how behavior emerges from organism–environment interactions and contributes to fitness and ecological dynamics.
Larry Graves pulled up to a home tucked into a Colorado mountainside. His radio was crackling, as was the wildfire burning beyond the trees—it was time to move.
Environment
May 22, 2026
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Scientists have identified dozens of previously overlooked cultural behaviors in wild chimpanzees, suggesting that the great ape's culture extends far beyond complex skills like tool use. In a single community, they found ...
Plants & Animals
May 21, 2026
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A new large-scale study led by a research team from the Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change has found that wildlife responds not only to how humans reshape their habitats, but also to the simple presence of humans—and ...
Plants & Animals
May 21, 2026
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An AI-powered camera platform could soon help monitor the health and behavior of zoo animals overnight, thanks to a new partnership between the University of Surrey and Marwell Wildlife. Researchers from Surrey's Centre for ...
Ecology
May 21, 2026
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9
Cows show a visual preference for new human faces over a familiar one and can match a known handler's voice to their face, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Océane Amichaud of INRAE in ...
Ecology
May 20, 2026
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Urbanization is rapidly transforming natural habitats and poses growing challenges for wildlife. One lesser-known consequence is its potential impact on bird song, which plays a crucial role in communication, reproduction, ...
Plants & Animals
May 20, 2026
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As part-night lighting (i.e., turning off streetlights in the middle of the night) becomes more widespread among local authorities, three studies focusing, respectively, on robins, toads and bats show that, often, turning ...
Ecology
May 20, 2026
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When researchers moved medaka—a fish commonly used in experiments—out of the lab and into more natural conditions, their reproductive clock shifted by hours, suggesting that laboratory findings may not fully capture their ...
Plants & Animals
May 20, 2026
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An Australian animal welfare group is seeking a heroic dog with an appetite for adventure for a full-time position as a koala rescuer.
Ecology
May 20, 2026
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11
Some birds sing to attract a mate. Others dance or display colorful feathers. But in the moonlit forests and shrublands of northern Argentina, one bird courts romance by snapping its wrists together, producing a sharp clapping ...
Plants & Animals
May 19, 2026
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