Starting out

This exercise is to be handed in TODAY.

Go to the following web site and answer the questions below the link using information found in the tutorials.

Click "Step-through". Make sure you go through every step by clicking play and continue.

The Cost of defending a Territory

1) For what reasons do some animals establish territories?

2) What is a common way for an animal to improve its survival and reproduction success?

3) What are the downsides (costs) to the strategy of advertising and chasing?

4) List and describe/explain the energetic costs of a behavior and how it is calculated.

5) List and describe/explain the risk costs of a behavior and how it is calculated.

6) List and describe/explain the opportunity costs of a behavior and how it is calculated.

7) During what time period do Yarrows Spiny Lizards become highly territorial? Why do they become territorial?

8)Increased territorial behavior in Yarrows Spiny Lizards is mediated by what?

9) Describe in detail the series of experiments that Marler and Moore designed to measure the costs associated with defending a territory.

10) Why did the control group receive a saline solution implant?

11) What did the testosterone implant do to the level of the lizards daytime activity? What was the reason for their level of activity (what were they doing)?

12) Which group in the study had the higher survival rate? Why?

Click the conclusion tab.
13) Why do the lizards defend their territory only during mating season?

Click on the Quiz tab, take the quiz. Copy each question, then your answer to the question.

Continue to the next link, and follow the same procedure as the one in the previous link.

Foraging Behavior

Click "Step-through". Make sure you go through every step by clicking play and continue.

Read the introduction and follow the instructions found there.

14) What is the underlying assumption of optimality modeling?

Click on "Low density", then "play".
15) The numbers of small, medium, and large prey that sunfish eat reflect what?

Click "Options", then choose "Medium density", then "Play".

16) Why do sunfish become selective at this level? Describe what they do to maximize their expenditure of energy.

Click "Options", then choose "High density", then "Play".

17) Why do sunfish become most selective in an area of high prey density?

Click the "Conclusion" tab.

18) How does prey density affect the feeding behavior of sunfish?

19) Would this behavior work if applies to all predators? Explain your answer.

Click the "Quiz" Tab and take the quiz. Copy the questions, and your answers to the questions.

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