behavior
The Importance of Ethograms Dr. Sheryl L. Walker explains how ethograms, questions, observational skills, and documentation all fit together in the study of animal behavior
© Can Stock Photo / Enjoylife
A dog’s ethogram would include social context, including feeding, greeting, grooming, and play; the placement of each body part, accompanying vocalizations, the configuration of each body part and the movement of these body parts
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ith a background in behavior analysis and animal behavior, I am easily captured by behavior in the wild. I was driving to work a couple of weeks ago and stopped to watch a family of geese walk across the street. One adult was in the front, one adult was at the back, and they were separated by four juveniles. The adult at the back was moving his head back and forth with his beak open, I’m as suming making some type of noise. Those 30 seconds reiterated to me how important observation skills are in the field of animal behavior, whatever your specialty may be: vet erinary medicine, zoology, marine biology, training, behavior consulting, breeding, sheltering, large animals, small animals, companion animals, wild animals, exotic animals, insects and so on. Whatever you may be interested in, you must have sharp and precise observation skills, as well as a questioning mind. Why were the geese lined up in that particular
It’s important that we humans, who share our homes with our furry companions, are familiar with both typical and atypical behaviors for each of our animals, so that we can provide them with the best welfare and quality of life possible. By being aware in this way, we will be better placed to determine when the animal is in pain or something else is wrong.
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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020
order? Why was the last adult moving his/her head like that? What type of vocalizations was he/she making, and why? If they were in line near a pond, would that situation be likely to occur, or was this happening only to cross the street? I’m sure that in whatever field of animal care you’re in, you can relate to these types of questions.
Ethograms So, I started thinking a bit more about observation skills and how they relate to animal behavior. One thing I learned during my externship at Wolf Park in Battleground, Indiana in 2004, was the importance of hav ing an ethogram when documenting and observing behavior. An ethogram is a collection of operational definitions, along with illustra tions, of what behaviors look like. This can provide a common language among colleagues who are in similar roles or professions. Ha and Campion (2019) explain it as follows: “An ethogram catalogs an animal’s behavior, comprising the placement, configuration, and movement of body parts and behavioral contexts, including locomotion and travel. The behaviors contained within an ethogram are typically defined as objective and mutually exclusive, thus making them individu ally recognizable to any observer. Ethograms can include a wide range of information, such as the social context, gestures, facial expressions, vo calizations, initiators, and recipients. For example, a dog’s ethogram would include social context, such as feeding, greeting, grooming, or play; the placement of each body part, including the head, tail, torso, and legs; accompanying vocalizations; the configuration of each body
