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A mating system in which a male mates with more than one female in a single breeding season. Example: Elephant seals where dominant males mate with multiple females.

Any form of behavior related to fighting, such as threats, displays, and aggression. Example: Rams butting heads over mating rights.

A mating system where one male and one female form an exclusive pair bond. Example: Gibbons living in small family groups with a single pair of adults.

Behaviors through which prey species avoid being eaten by predators. Examples: Octopuses ejecting ink, rabbits freezing to blend into the environment.

The large-scale movement of a species from one environment to another based on seasonal changes. Examples: Wildebeest moving in the Serengeti, monarch butterflies traveling to Mexico.

A strategy where one species lays its eggs in the nest of another species and lets the host species raise its offspring. Example: Cuckoos laying eggs in the nests of other bird species.

Behavior of an individual that increases the fitness of another individual at the cost of the actor's own fitness. Example: Meerkats taking turns acting as sentinels to warn of predators.

A type of learning occurring at a particular life stage that is rapid and apparently independent of the consequences of behavior. Example: Ducklings following the first moving object they see, usually their mother.

A state of dormancy or torpor during periods of heat and drought. Example: Desert snails sealing themselves in their shells to conserve moisture.

A biological interaction where a predator organism feeds on another living organism or organisms known as prey. Examples: Hawks hunting small mammals, orcas hunting seals.

The defense of a bounded physical space against encroachment by other individuals. Example: Red-winged blackbirds defending their breeding space in the wetlands.

A form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species in order to avoid predation. Example: The viceroy butterfly which mimics the toxic monarch butterfly.

A social behavior where non-breeding individuals assist raising the offspring of breeding individuals. Example: Florida scrub-jay helpers that are offspring from previous years.

The selection of a mating partner by an individual based on specific desirable characteristics. Examples: Female peafowls choosing males with larger, brighter tails, birds of paradise selecting mates with more elaborate dances.

The care provided by a female parent to her offspring. Examples: Elephants nursing and protecting calves, octopus mothers tending to their eggs until they hatch.

A range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities typically associated with recreational pleasure and enjoyment. Examples: Kittens play-fighting, dolphins engaging in play with objects or other species.

Active mainly during the light hours of the day. Example: Squirrels foraging and being active during the day while resting at night.

A form of mimicry where two or more harmful species evolve to look alike. Example: Different species of stinging wasps sharing similar yellow and black color patterns.

The process of learning behaviors from others in a social group. Examples: Young killer whales learning hunting techniques from adults, primates learning to use tools by observing others.

The phenomenon of animals living in structured groups or societies. Examples: Elephant herds, wolf packs, fish schools.

The movement of individuals from their birthplace to their own breeding territory. Example: Juvenile birds leaving their birth nest to establish their own territory elsewhere.

The characteristic of some animals to roam freely over a wide area rather than settling permanently in one place. Example: Nomadic wildebeest herds move continuously in search of food.

A model that predicts how an animal behaves when searching for food, by considering the trade-offs between food value and the costs of obtaining it. Example: A fox balancing the energy of hunting small, fast prey versus larger, slower prey.

The search and exploitation of food resources by animals. Examples: Wolves hunting in packs, hummingbirds visiting flowers for nectar.

A state of inactivity and metabolic depression in endotherms. Example: Bears reducing their metabolic rate and body temperature during the winter to conserve energy.

The behavior exhibited when a group of birds, called a flock, are foraging or in flight. Examples: Starlings exhibiting a murmuration, geese flying in a V-formation during migration.

Active mainly during the night. Example: Owls hunting at night using their keen night vision and silent flight.

The manipulation of objects outside of the organism to achieve a goal or solve a problem. Examples: Chimpanzees using sticks to extract termites, crows dropping nuts on roads to crack them open.

The process where natural selection favors traits that increase the reproductive success of the individual's relatives. Example: Worker bees foregoing reproduction to help raise their siblings.

The tendency of an animal to stay in or habitually return to a particular area, including their birthplace. Examples: Salmon returning to their birth stream to spawn, sea turtles returning to the beach where they hatched.

The process by which animals use various cues to assess the quality of a given area for the purposes of settling. Examples: Birds choosing nesting sites that provide optimal cover, bison selecting grazing areas.

Competition among individuals of the same species, for resources such as food, territory, or mates. Examples: Male deer fighting during the rut, plants competing for sunlight.

Competition between individuals of different species for shared resources. Example: Lions and hyenas competing for similar prey.

A sequence of behavioral patterns leading to mating and reproduction. Example: Peacock spiders perform elaborate dances to attract females.

A close and often long-term interaction between two different species that live together and benefit from each other. Examples: Clownfish living in sea anemones, oxpeckers feeding on parasites on large mammals.

A mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season. Example: Bonobos have a mating system where all adult members of the group may engage in sexual activity with each other.

A mating system where males defend territories rich in resources that are attractive to females. Examples: Red-winged blackbirds defend territories with nesting sites and food to attract multiple females.

A mating system where a female mates with multiple males during a breeding season. Example: Female spotted sandpipers may mate with and receive parental help from multiple males.

The use of conspicuous colors, markings, or warning sounds to warn predators that an animal is not worth attacking, often due to toxicity or bad taste. Examples: Poison dart frogs displaying bright colors, rattlesnakes rattling.

The use of specifically evolved visual, auditory, chemical, or tactile signals to transfer information between animals. Examples: Fireflies flashing patterns for mating, wolves howling to locate pack members.

Active primarily during twilight, that is, during dawn and dusk. Examples: Deer and rabbits often forage during these times to avoid both daytime and nighttime predators.