This textbook for advanced graduate and postgraduate veterinary students, introduces animal behaviour, offering insights into its origins, cognitive aspects, communication, environmental influences, biological mechanisms, complex behaviours, adaptive strategies, and practical applications. The initial chapters present fundamental principles underpinning animal behaviour, elucidating the roles of evolution, genetics, and ecology. Subsequent chapters introduce the role of natural selection, habitat selection, and pheromones, alongside exploring conflicts, predator-prey dynamics, and the impact of domestication on behaviour. The book further delves into topics such as habitat selection, foraging strategies, predator-prey dynamics, and the effects of domestication on behaviour. It unravels the mysteries of animal defences, altruism, social dominance, territoriality, and the finely tuned art of food and habitat selection. Additionally, it covers the biological mechanisms governing behaviour, unearthing the roles played by neuroendocrinology, biological clocks, and genetics. Towards the end, the textbook examines the practical relevance of behavioural insights in veterinary science.
Key Features:
- Offers a comprehensive exploration of animal behaviour, encompassing a wide range of topics, from evolutionary principles to intricate behavioural patterns.
- Provides understanding of the origins of animal behaviour, including the roles of evolution, genetics, and ecology.
- Highlights the practical applications of behavioural insights in veterinary science and related fields.
- Delves into specialized areas of animal behaviour, such as innate behaviours, animal memory, pheromones, and cooperation.
- Explores how animals adapt to their environments, covering topics like foraging behaviour, predator detection, and self-defensive behaviours.
- Addresses the impact of environmental factors, hormones, and drugs on behaviour, offering a holistic view of animal responses to their surroundings.
