Factors Influencing Behaviour

Innate Behaviour

Species-specific: Innate behaviours are hard-wired within an animal’s genetic code and are specific to that species. They can be seen in all animals of a species, irrespective of their environment or learning.
Fixed action patterns: Innate behaviour usually follows set sequences, known as fixed action patterns (FAPs). They continue till completion once triggered.
Trigger stimuli: FAPs are initiated by specific stimuli, often referred to as a ‘sign stimulus’ or ‘trigger.’ For example, a dog might wag its tail when happy.

Environmental Influences

Availability of resources: The presence, absence, or distribution of resources - such as food, water, and mates - can impact animal behaviour.
Territory and home range: Many species establish a territory or home range to protect their resources. Interactions with intruders can drive various behaviours.
Seasonal changes: Changes in light, temperature, and food availability with the varying seasons can influence animal behaviours, especially migratory patterns and hibernation.

Learned Behaviour

Experience: Behaviours can be learned and altered based on an animal’s personal experiences, such as training, conditioning, or observation of others.
Habituation: Animals often experience decreasing responses to repeated consistent exposures, which is known as habituation. This process reduces unnecessary responses to harmless, frequently occurring stimuli.
Imitation: Animals, especially young ones, often learn by reproducing the behaviours they see around them. This is crucial for acquiring survival skills, social behaviours, and food finding techniques.

Social Structure and Behaviour

Dominance hierarchies: Many species have a clear social order or hierarchy. This hierarchy can strongly influence many social behaviours, such as feeding order or mate selection.
Cooperative behaviours: These involve animals collaborating for shared benefits, such as hunting in packs or rearing offspring communally. This encourages survival and enhances chances of reproduction.

Physiological Influences

Hormones: Hormonal state can have a profound influence on an animal’s behaviour. For instance, high levels of the hormone testosterone are often associated with increased aggression.
Neurological state: Changes in an animal’s brain or nervous system (due to injury, age, or illness) can lead to changes in behaviour.

Human Influence

Domestication and breeding: Over generations, selective breeding for specific traits by humans can greatly affect behaviours. Dogs, for instance, have been bred for specific tasks, affecting their personalities and behaviours.
Training: Regular interactions with humans, false conditioning, or training can alter animal behaviour over time.
Captivity: Animals in zoos or other captive environments often exhibit behaviours that differ significantly from those in the wild, due to differences in space, socialisation, diet, and breeding practices.