Factors affecting animal behavior

Genetic Factors

A significant portion of an animal’s behaviour is determined by their genes. They inherit these behaviours from their parents and they are typically fixed and unalterable.
These genetic behaviours manifest as innate behaviours, which include reflex actions, instinctual behaviours, and other actions that an animal is naturally inclined to perform.
The genetic behaviours can vary greatly from species to species and even within the same species. For example, some dogs are genetically predisposed to herding or retrieving.

Environmental Factors

The environment plays a key role in shaping an animal’s behaviour. Factors such as the availability of food, the presence of predators, or the time of year can all influence how an animal acts.
Environmental changes can affect animals on both a short-term and long-term basis. Short-term changes, like the shifting of seasons, can trigger migration in certain species, while long-term changes can lead to evolutionary adaptations in behaviour.
Animals are also affected by their immediate environment. For example, those living in groups will exhibit different behaviours compared to those that live alone due to the dynamics of social living.

Learning Factors

Animals, especially those with higher cognitive abilities, have the capacity to learn from their experiences. This learning capacity heavily influences their behaviour.
Learning can take place in various ways. Some animals learn from trial-and-error while others learn by observing the behaviour of other animals.
This learned behaviour allows animals to adapt to new environments, to overcome obstacles and to develop more effective survival strategies.

Physiological Factors

An animal’s behaviour can also be influenced by its physical and physiological state. For instance, an animal that is hungry will behave differently than one that is well-fed.
Physiological factors like age, sex, and health condition also impact behaviour. For instance, maternal instinct emerges in females after they give birth, and the behaviour of many animals changes as they move from juvenile to adult stages.
Finally, changes in hormone levels can also affect behaviour – for instance, levels of aggression can increase with higher testosterone levels.

Stimulation Factors

Animals need various forms of stimulation to maintain a healthy mental state, and the presence or absence of this stimulation can heavily affect their behaviours.
Examples include: physical exercise, social interactions, environmental enrichment, mental challenges. Without adequate stimulation, animals may exhibit stress behaviours such as repetitive pacing and over-grooming.
These needs can vary greatly between different species and individuals. For example, a domestic dog requires regular exercise and social interaction, while a tarantula has very minimal social and environmental stimulation needs.